The Alphabet of Rick & Kate
by The Keddster
Summary: A series of unrelated, well maybe some semi-related tales of Rick & Kate's adventures/encounters post 'Always'. Not necessarily alphabetical or chronological but laden with romance/smut, humour, angst and all-round 'Casketty' goodness.
1. Lazy & Languid

**A/N: If you've already read my story 'Lazy' then skip straight to Chapter 2 - I've included Lazy as Chapter 1 of this now multi-chapter fic.**

**If you haven't read it yet, then I hope you enjoy this and the coming chapters?**

Disclaimer: In awe but not in ownership of all things Castle.

**Chapter 1 - Lazy & Languid **

With the curtains drawn, the only light in the room is from the fire. The only obvious sound is the crackling of the newly added logs but despite this, as she stands in front of the large fireplace in her Dad's cabin, Kate Beckett's senses are overwhelmed. It's her first time back since she recovered here after her shooting and when they arrived she was overwhelmed by memories; the fear, the physical pain and the loneliness of that devastating time over a year ago. These memories then gave way to sadness; for lost loved ones and for the pain she caused the people she loves. She still struggles with the shame of pushing them away; her Dad, her friends and in particular, the man she has bought with her _this_ visit.

Kate wanted to bring Castle to her Dad's cabin to share with him what had always been one of her favourite places in the world, and she hoped would be again, if she could create some new memories here, with him.

Now, in the familiar living area she can smell smoke, burning timber and _him. _She can hear the fire, along with the soft regular breathing of the man behind her and the loud roar of her own blood rushing in her ears. She can see the golden glow the fire casts around the room. She can feel the heat of the flames at her front and him at her back, his warm breath against her neck. She can taste the wine they've been drinking and she can almost taste _him_. She so wants to taste him and she turns then, meets his gaze. She steps forward, puts her arms around him and with their eyes still locked she leans in to kiss him. It's a soft kiss, slow and lingering but desire still flares.

When they separate they look at each other with passion-darkened eyes and Richard Castle takes a shuddering inhale. God he wants her and he knows she wants _him_ but coming here isn't about a dirty weekend away; it's about healing and her sharing something with him that, until she was shot, had always been a place of safety, peace and happiness.

"I thought you bought me here to show me around, make me fall in love with this place, not to have your wicked way with me." Castle whispers against her hair as he enfolds her in his embrace. "I want to love it as much as you used to and I want you to fall back in love with it."

"I did bring you here for that and also to create some new memories, with you." Kate says as she presses herself against him and whispers huskily in his ear. "So right now I want to create a memory of you and me naked in front of this fire, lazy and slow enough to take all afternoon.

"Sounds like you've put some thought into this," Castle rasps and hopes he can take this as slow and lazy as she wants it because her words and just her proximity have him pretty worked up already.

"It's been on my to-do list for a while," she whispers against the side of his neck. "Since before we…"

"You've fantasised about us here in front of this fire, on this rug?" Castle interrupts without a trace of the smugness Kate imagined would accompany this revelation. "Before we were together?"

"Uh, huh. Pour me some more wine and I'll tell you how it goes," she says and steps away from him because if she stays pressed against him, against the obvious evidence of his enthusiasm for her fantasy, she won't be able to take things slowly.

Castle obliges and as he hands back her glass of wine he takes in the sight before him; a pink-cheeked, aroused Kate Beckett smiling seductively at him and about to share her sex-on-a-bearskin-rug fantasy. _Have mercy,_ he whispers under his breath as he touches his glass to hers.

"To creating happy memories."

"To creating happy memories," she repeats and steps towards him again, planting a wet kiss at the base of his throat and eliciting a soft moan from deep in his chest.

Castle takes her glass from her then and places them both on the hearth before taking her face in his hands and kissing her slowly. Kate responds immediately, opening her mouth to invite him in and their tongues meld in a now familiar duel.

They kiss like that, leisurely and patiently, allowing their mouths and hands to wander over their still fully clothed bodies, savouring every touch, every sigh and every moan.

"Thought you were going to tell me your fantasy," Castle says as he plants tiny kisses down the front of her chest.

"I _am_ telling you. I'm just not using my words," she says with a soft moan as he runs his tongue over her still lace and cotton-covered breast.

"Am I allowed to undress you in this fantasy?"

"Only if you want to," she says as he kisses his way back to her mouth and begins unbuttoning the frustratingly tiny and numerous buttons on the front of her blouse.

"Oh I want to, and I'm going to do it _so _slowly, piece by piece and I'm going to kiss every new part of you I uncover," he says in a low whisper and as he finally releases the last button of her blouse he trails his tongue between her breasts. His thumbs stroke firmly over each nipple and he adds, "Warm, wet and slow Kate, _everywhere. _Be careful what you wish for because it'll be delicious torment."

Kate's breath hitches and she feels a sudden rush of heat, to her face and directly to her core. She wants him and she wants him now because this is already better than her most detailed fantasy, but the slow and probably torturous _seduction_ he just described promises to be worth waiting for, so she takes a deep steadying breath and gives herself over to the languid pace being set by the man whose hands are currently removing her bra and who is tugging her nipples gently between his teeth.

Castle is loving this. He'd always assumed that their first time together would be initiated by him and would involve slow, passionate seduction and even though the reality of their first time had blown his mind, he was now getting to play out a little bit of one of his own fantasies. He shares this with her as he laves more attention on each breast, eliciting intermittent moans and gasps from Kate, some obviously uttered in pleasure, others in frustration but all of them serve to stoke the embers of their passion.

When Kate feels warm fingers at the button of her jeans her eyes drift closed and when said fingers lower the zipper and slip slowly past the open fly she whimpers into his mouth. She knows what his large talented fingers are capable of and her hips press against his hand of their own accord.

"You know what I'm about to do don't you?" Castle breathes against her mouth and she hums her answer as their kiss deepens again. "Do you want me to touch you Kate?"

"Yes," she hisses as his fingers slip inside her underwear and find her warm wet heat.

"Is this what you want? Or do you want more?"

"More." Kate answers in a voice she barely recognises as her own. It's low and pleading and with anyone else she'd have been mortified by the neediness of her tone, but right now she just wants him to know what he's doing to her and that she definitely wants _more._

Castle slowly slides a finger deep inside her and the wet warmth of her makes his own breathing hitch. Their lust-darkened gazes meet again and Castle can't take his eyes off her.

"I want to see every expression on your face and watch you when you come," he whispers and observes her reaction to his words and to the slow sure slide of another finger inside her. Her eyes slam shut, her head drifts forward to rest on his shoulder and her hands clutch at his back.

"Oh God," she croaks and wonders how much longer her legs will support her. She wraps her arms around his neck for support and rocks her hips rhythmically in time with the movement of his hand until she feels a familiar tightening.

Castle feels it too and he clutches tighter at the hair on the back of her head, gently guiding her head back so he can watch her. As his fingers move in and out of her, pushing her closer to the edge he huffs out a "Look at me Kate," and as her eyes bore onto his he feels her shudder and watches as her lips part and her head lolls back into his palm. She tightens and shudders again and when she stills he lowers his mouth to hers and swallows the whimper she makes as he removes his hand.

Kate's breathing is ragged, her heart is almost thumping out of her chest and her limbs feel heavy but after only a minute she regains enough fine motor coordination to grab Castle by his belt and pull him against her.

"You just hijacked my fantasy," she whispers into the hollow of his throat as she lazily circles the skin there with her tongue and expertly unbuckles his belt.

"Are you complaining," he asks as he lets his head drop back a little to give her tongue and teeth better access to his throat because what she's doing there is driving him just a little crazy, in a very good way.

"No, but that's not the point."

"Then what is the point? Because watching you like that rates as one of the sexiest things I've ever seen." Castle asks, his voice husky as he tries to touch her again but she catches his hand before he can make contact.

"Na. Ah. My turn," Kate says as she manoeuvres away from his warm seeking digits and with slightly trembling fingers begins unbuttoning his shirt. Each button released precedes a soft wet kiss against his chest until they are all undone and his shirt falls in a puddle at their feet.

They are still standing by the fire, naked only from the waist up and Kate intends to prolong the task of disrobing him completely. She's discovered she loves undressing him and more often than not it has been with frantic haste, but right now she wants to torture them both a little so as she slowly kisses her way down his abdomen she unzips his pants, making sure to _accidentally _brush her fingers against his obvious arousal in the process. She feels him shudder and it makes her smile.

With her mouth in the vicinity of his navel he can't help but feel the upturn of her lips against his skin and he knows she's determined to drive him crazy. He sucks in a sharp breath as she settles onto raised knees and slides his pants down his legs. The sight of her like that, especially given the very recent memory of her on her knees in his shower when she literally bought _him _to his knees, is enough to make purposeful movement difficult and she has to tap each foot to get him to step out of his pants. When she tugs at the waistband of his boxers with her teeth his eyes slam shut and when her mouth closes over him he huffs out an expletive. She's working warm wet magic on him and it's excruciating in the best way possible, but he's confident that he has less than thirty seconds before lazy and languid becomes _over and out_, so he gently grasps her hair and tugs her away from him before dropping to his knees to face her.

"You can't seriously expect this to last all afternoon if you do _that _for more than about a minute," he says in response to the unanswered question he sees in her eyes. "Last time I almost passed out, remember?"

"I thought that was because the shower was too hot," she smirks.

"Oh no, we both know it was _all_ _you,_" he teases. He doesn't want to think about how or on whom she developed that particular talent but she had certainly perfected the art.

He's startled from his musing by the sound of her voice, and what she admits floors him a little. "Not something I do often or ever truly enjoyed doing, except with you. With you I kinda like it."

She looks down then, suddenly a little embarrassed by her own honesty but he uses his finger to tilt her chin up so their eyes meet. "God I love you," he whispers and crashes his mouth down on hers.

They kiss hot and fast for several minutes before Castle slows the pace again and begins to slide her jeans down her hips. Before she can stop him his hand finds its way inside her underwear again and his fingers are making soft slow circles around her clit and it's sweet torture. Kate shamelessly presses herself against his hand and mimics that rhythm with her own tongue as she slides it into his mouth.

"Take the rest of my clothes off Castle," she whispers against his chest as she runs her tongue over what she has discovered are his surprisingly sensitive nipples.

"No argument from me," he says with a lopsided grin and gently lowers her to the rug. She watches him, kneeling above her in all his naked and aroused glory as he slides her jeans and underwear down her legs and tugs them free of her feet before he kisses his way up the inside of one leg from her ankle to her thigh. His pace is excruciatingly slow and by the time he reaches the most sensitive skin at the top of her thigh, she's panting and clutching at the rug.

She can feel his warm breath against her now and she desperately wants the feel of his mouth on her, but he's in no hurry. In fact, when she opens her eyes and lets out a frustrated whimper she finds him watching her. The sight of him looking up at her from between her own legs with predatory ink-blue eyes is almost more than she can stand and she can't control the subtle buck of her hips.

Castle laces his fingers with hers, effectively stilling her hands as he whispers against her, "Anticipation is half the pleasure, Kate."

But before she can respond he lowers his mouth to where she so desperately wants it and she moans loudly. The firm swipe of his flattened tongue alternates with gentle circles and soft suction and she's soaring within a minute. She'd intended to push him away once she got close, pull him to her, _into_ her but she couldn't have stopped that tsunami of sensation if her life depended on it.

He slides up her body then, knowing that she's hypersensitive and needs a moment before she's ready to be touched again and settles his hips between hers, his considerable arousal pressed between their bellies. He gently runs his tongue across her bottom lip and she responds by kissing him deeply and stroking her hands firmly up and down his back. When he feels her hands insistently gripping his butt he shifts so that he's pressed against her and moves a tiny way into her. They lock eyes again then, both eager to witness what the other is feeling and when Castle sees nothing but love and _want _in her passion-darkened eyes, he slowly thrusts all the way inside her.

Kate's back arches and she takes in a short sharp breath at the pleasant shock of the movement. It doesn't matter how aroused or how desperate she is, sometimes the size of him still takes her by surprise and this particular reaction is almost involuntary. The first time she reacted like that he thought he'd hurt her and was devastated but now he knows it's a positive reaction, one that excites him as well as eliciting the tiniest glimmer of masculine pride.

They start moving together at the same slow, almost lazy pace and it feels amazing. Even these gentle movements, combined with the heat from the fire, produce a sheen of perspiration over their bodies and they only break eye contact to plant soft kisses on damp, salty skin.

Castle elevates his torso on straight arms so he can see as much of her as possible, and his toes, knees and palms are the only parts of his body in contact with the rug. He watches her face as he moves in and out of her with excruciating slowness and he can feel the warm tightness of her around him. He stills as she wraps her legs high around his waist, the movement shifting her pelvis to allow him to sink deeper and they moan simultaneously. She smiles a lust-filled smile then and runs all ten of her fingernails down his chest and it takes every bit of his willpower not to quicken the pace and speed them towards the finale.

Kate's focus has narrowed to nothing else but the fire beside her, the rug underneath her and the man moving with deliberate slowness inside her. She can feel every glorious inch of him but even with her legs around his waist she wants more. He's so good at reading her and, one arm at a time, he moves his hands back towards his own body, behind her thighs so her knees can drape over his shoulders and her lower legs can drift down the length of his back.

Their eyes meet and he silently asks for permission before he starts moving again, which she answers with a gentle rock of her hips. He relishes every expression that crosses her face and the added intimacy this position and their unwavering eye contact creates. He commits to memory every sound she makes and the movement that elicits it, he whispers how good she feels, how much he loves her and sooner than they both expected, she's tightening around him and shuddering to an intensely powerful orgasm. She moans his name as the waves of it wash over her and when her legs slip from his shoulders, he lowers himself to his elbows and begins moving again.

Kate thought that after holding himself in check for so long, he would now set an entirely different rhythm, but he keeps his gaze on her face and continues his slow firm thrusting and she watches in delighted fascination as his skin flushes and his jaw clenches at the exact moment his whole body goes rigid. She can feel the ripple of his back muscles under her hands and when she feels him release inside her, she clutches him closer and whispers words of love as a ragged groan escapes his lips and he presses his mouth to hers with a final shudder.

They are both boneless, sated puddles and a considerable amount of time passes before either of them moves a muscle.

"The sun is about to go down," Kate says quietly as she props herself up on her elbows. "Wanna watch it with me?"

He nods as he watches her stand and drag an enormous quilt off the couch. The sight of her in the firelight, flushed, naked and satisfied stirs certain parts of his body into action before his limbs, but eventually he manages to stand. He quickly registers her intention to venture onto the veranda for the best view and takes the quilt from her. She grabs their wine glasses from beside the fire and once outside she nestles her back against his chest as he wraps the quilt around them both and settles his chin on the top of her head. They watch in silence as the sun slips below the horizon in magnificent technicolour, the only sounds being the insects and their own soft contented sighs.

Castle is first to break the silence and he turns Kate to face him as he speaks. "I'm not sure if that's what you had in mind for the new memories you wanted to create but I'm pretty certain _I'm _not going to forget today in a hurry."

"Ditto." Kate replies as she snuggles into him, revelling in the feeling of his arms tightening around her. Arms that she is now sure would've made her feel safe, supported and cherished a year ago if only she'd been brave enough to let him in. She pushes those thoughts from her mind as she hears him whisper softly...

"I love you, Kate."

"Ditto," she says again.


	2. Angry & Angsty

**A/N: So, I couldn't resist. Had to take my story 'Lazy' and make it part of my idea for an **_**alphabet**_** of Caskett. This chapter is my first attempt at angry Rick & Kate so not sure if it actually translated well from brain to page. Let me know! And be warned, I dropped about a hundred F-bombs.**

**Chapter 2 – Angry & Angsty**

"Castle, if you know what's good for you, you'll go home. _Now_!"

They are at her apartment; he'd found her there, eventually, after she stormed out of the loft in the middle of an argument. She's still absolutely fuming; angry at him, but if she's being honest, angrier at herself. She's sweaty, red-faced and panting because for the best part of an hour she's been punching the crap out of the floor-standing bag she uses for boxing workouts.

"If I know what's _good_ for me? _You're _good for me Kate," Castle says in a low voice, his tone deceptively calm.

"Are you sure about that?" she says as she roughly drags her gloves off each hand.

"For fuck sake Kate. How many times do we have to dance in this circle? _You _are good for _me _and if you'd just spend a little less time inside that brilliant, analytical mind of yours you wouldn't keep over-thinking and _over-complicating_ this and you'd remember we're good for _each other._"

Castle's jaw and fists are clenched tight, he's frustrated, angry and he wouldn't mind having a turn punching the hell out of _something. _Earlier that morning he had broached the subject of her moving in and it sent her into a tailspin. Neither of them is sure why, because she's practically living there anyway, plus things between them are actually unbelievably good. Maybe that's the problem; everything is going _too_ well so Kate's waiting for _something _to ruin it; and her propensity for spending too much time in her own head, even though she wants to live with him and knows it's where they're headed, has her almost convinced _she's_ going to ruin it, ruin _them.__  
_

They had argued for close to an hour at the loft; their first real voice-raising, profanity-inducing fight and she'd just walked out in the middle of it.

_"I need to get out of here before one of us says something we can't take back," she'd said._

_"Well that's fucking great Kate. So much for not running."_

_"Jesus Castle. I'm not running. We both just need to calm down because we could go round in circles like this for hours and if you care to remember something else I said when I promised I wouldn't run, I said we shouldn't let the sun set on an argument. Well, this isn't getting us anywhere so I'm ending the argument." And in four angry strides she was out the door._

_"How is you walking out now stopping the sun setting on this?" he'd called after her, a little dumbfounded by her logic. But he let her go, because arguing with her was exhausting and they did both need to cool off. When she didn't return or answer her phone after a couple of hours though, he went looking for her - he was worried about her, but still angry and desperate for some sort of resolution._

They both came back to the present then.

"Yeah well, if you wanted un-fucking-complicated Rick, you picked the wrong girl. With me you've got complicated in spades and I can turn dead simple into unbelievably complicated in a heartbeat."

He can't take his eyes off her as she stands there in front of him; shoulders back, chest heaving, eyes blazing and that prominent vein on her forehead, the one that surfaces when she's worked up for _any_ reason, especially just before she comes, is visible under her flushed sweaty skin. He can't help himself; he's irritated, exasperated and incredibly turned on! He doesn't _want_ any other girl, he wants Kate Beckett even though he's certain she will finish him one day... in more ways than one.

"And you can turn angry into sexy in _less_ than a heartbeat - without even trying." Rick blurts. "You don't even know you're doing it do you?"

"Geez Rick. What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about _you_," Rick says as he grabs her and pulls her against him. "Miss 'back straight, boobs out, lip-biting, Beckett-glaring, frustrating...' _Ughhh!_ You're all fired up and ready to go toe to toe with me and it's sexy as hell."

"Don't you fucking dare," Kate warns but her breath hitches, her pulse quickens and neither reaction has anything to do with how angry she is because she can feel how aroused _he_ is. "I am _not _going to have angry, angsty or any other kind of sex with you right now."

"Are you sure about that Beckett? What about _fucking it out? _Have you decided to just forget _that_ part of our long ago conversation?" Castle says, only an inch from her face now. He's going for menacing but his tone is more like seduction; warm and intoxicating like the feel of his breath on her face. "We're better than good for each other Kate, and maybe we both need reminding just _how_ good."

His lips and teeth are at the side of her neck as he says it, with one hand tangled firmly in her hair and the other inside her shirt teasing the underside of one breast.

"No," she says with an _almost_ credible amount of conviction.

"Yes," he breathes and crashes his mouth down on hers, his tongue roughly forcing its way into her mouth. "I don't wanna fight with you, I want to..."

"No," she interrupts and half-heartedly pulls her mouth from his, much less conviction in her voice this time.

"Yes Kate," he breathes as he unhooks her bra and kisses her again.

This time her "No" is a whimper and it's said against his lips just before her tongue joins his in a duel for dominance that they'll _both_ win by the time this is over.

Their kisses are rough and hot and their hands aren't gentle either. Randon articles of clothing are gone in seconds and Castle immediately shoves one thigh between her legs and backs her a half step to her living room wall, right beside her punching bag. He plants frenzied kisses down her neck and across her chest, his stubble and his teeth marking her skin as he goes. She's clutching at him, his hair and his back, and when he slips his hand inside her underwear she moans loudly.

"I hate you right now," she rasps but her hips automatically rock forward to press her centre against his hand. When he suddenly slips two fingers inside her she swears again, partly at the glorious shock of the intrusion but also in frustration at her traitorous body's inability to resist him.

"I love you too Katie," Castle says just before he takes one nipple in his mouth. He calls her Katie because he knows it pisses her off when anyone except her Dad calls her that and he yelps when she retaliates by digging her nails into his scalp.

_His_ revenge is to slow the movement of his fingers inside her just as she's beginning to tighten around them and she hisses, "Don't you dare stop." At the same time she closes one hand around him, over his boxers.

"I'm going to _have_ to stop if you want me to replace my hand with…"

"Stop talking Castle," she interrupts again and gasps as the rhythm of his fingers intensifies.

He's working her up again until he knows she's at the point where she'll do just about anything to have him complete his task. His thumb is pressing on her clit now, for the sole purpose of driving her crazy.

"I'll stop talking if you start. Tell me you want this as much as I do."

She looks him in the eye and defiantly shakes her head but the rhythmic rocking of her hips in time with his hand tells him her refusal is all bravado; so he slows his fingers again.

She whimpers and tightens her grip on _him_, eliciting a hiss from his own lips but he doesn't deviate from his mission. He's determined to have this angry, hot and magnificent woman pleading for him to…

A hand shoving his boxers down his thighs, then two hands stroking him as their owner whispers huskily, "I want _this_ and I want you", interrupts his train of thought and with a silent _Oh God_, Castle realises she's almost managed to turn the tables. Lust along with frustration at his momentary lapse only heightens the last vestiges of his anger.

He kisses her hard then, as he removes his hand abruptly, shoves her underwear down and presses his almost painful arousal against her, swallowing the deep moan that rumbles from her chest.

Kate presses herself against his hardness because she wants him inside her, _now_. She rasps out his name as she grabs his ass and pulls him closer.

"What do you want Kate?"

Her temper flares briefly at the realisation that she won't get what she wants unless she _tells_ him and the emotion just adds fuel to the already blazing fire.

"I want you inside me."

"Tell me how Katie," he says in a voice that's more in control than he feels. They are both trembling, partly from residual anger but mostly from mindless desperation.

"Hot and angry and _now!_"

"Jesus," he breathes as he presses her firmly against the wall, lifts her slightly and plunges into her in one long, sure movement.

"Fuck." Kate hisses and her eyes fly to his, gazes locking as he starts to thrust into her.

She wraps her legs around his waist, clutches at his back and shoulders and gives in to all the sensations and emotions wreaking havoc with her body and her brain; lust anger, frustration, angst, regret, longing, but overpowering all of it… _love_.

"How can you think for a second that we're not perfect together, Kate." Castle says as he continues to thrust powerfully into her, edging them both towards the inevitable finale.

"I'm sorry," Kate breathes, the apology warm and welcome against his lips. "I just doubt myself sometimes but I don't doubt us, even if my over-thinking makes it seem like I do."

They are both amazed at their ability to form coherent thought and clear sentences in that moment, but the minute he lifts her higher, grips her harder and thrusts into her faster they are both lost to the intensity of it. Kate cries out as her orgasm crashes over her and the second Castle feels the power of it he sinks his teeth into her shoulder and erratically thrusts his way to his own powerful climax.

For several minutes they are panting, trembling and oblivious to everything but each other, until Kate unhooks her legs from his waist and allows her feet to drop unsteadily to the floor. Castle has one hand still on her ass but has raised the other to gently cup her face, his thumb softly stroking her cheek.

"You Ok?" He asks as he lifts his head from her shoulder and meets her eyes.

"I'm good."

"We're good?"

She smiles at him then, a myriad of emotions passing silently between them. "We're _perfect. _I'm sorry."

"I love you... _Katie!_"

"I love you too but don't press your luck. You'll get me all angry again."

"If we get to do _that _again then I'm game… Katie, Katie, Katie." Castle teases, then his voice takes on a more serious tone. "I won't bring it up again."

"Living together?"

"Yeah!"

"I didn't say _never_ Rick, just not _now_."

"Well I didn't _mean_ now," he whispers and kisses her softly. "Maybe after we're married?"

"You're just trying to get a rise out of me now," she says knowingly.

"Yeah we'll, we've just _firmly_ established that angry, angsty Kate definitely gets a _rise_ out of me!"

**Really interested to know if I managed to capture their emotions. It sounded all angry in my head but that doesn't mean it came across that way to you lovely readers. Please let me know because I wasn't feeling confident. I'm all ears to ways I can improve.**


	3. Wet & Wild

**A/N: I described Castle's Hamptons house and its magnificent ensuite in 'Conversations – Chapter 8' but they didn't take full advantage of the amazing bath or the enormous shower with it's multiple showerheads and **_**interesting nozzles. **_**This should correct that oversight. **

Disclaimer: I love these charcters so I borrow them from their rightful owners from time to time.

**Chapter 3**** - Wet & Wild**

"Wow, the weather's turned really wild out there," Castle says as they drop their bags in the entryway and remove their coats. It's early Friday afternoon and they have just arrived in the Hamptons for the weekend. Unfortunately the forecast is for worse to come.

"Hopefully it'll clear so we can at least get outside at some point," Kate says hopefully.

"I don't know. There's worse things than being stuck inside for an entire weekend. I'm sure we can figure out ways to pass the time," he says suggestively.

Kate chuckles and rolls her eyes just as there's a huge bolt of lightening and crack of thunder that she feels rumble through her chest along with her laughter.

They head for the bedroom and once they have unpacked and done a quick inventory in the kitchen they brave the weather in search of groceries; they left the pantry almost bare when they left last time.

They find themselves wandering almost deserted supermarket aisles but as Kate grabs the necessities Castle tries to sneak in a few _treats_. There's high sugar breakfast cereal, whipped cream, chocolate and as quickly as she pulls the junk food out of the basket, Castle is throwing more in.

"This must be what it's like to shop with a three year old," Kate says as she tries to hide her laughter. It's hard to be annoyed when she's so relaxed, a feeling that washed over her the minute they arrived because she fell in love with his Hamptons house last visit and she's so happy to be back. "Do you think you could make some food choices which don't have their top three ingredients listed as sugar, salt and preservatives?"

"Jeez Kate, this from the woman who not so long ago sustained herself on three basic food groups… caffeine, chinese food and candy." Castle teases. "Since when did you become the food police?"

"What can I say, despite your apparent lack of restraint today, you usually eat pretty well. You've been a good influence in me."

"Oh my God, quick, I have to ask one of the staff to make an announcement," Castle says dramatically, drawing a confused but highly suspicious look from Kate. Then in his best announcers voice he says, "Customers, please make your way to aisle four, we're serving slices of delicious Humble Pie."

Kate tries to swat him but he's wisely manoeuvred the cart between them. She mentally berates herself for her admission but it's true; she has been eating better, taking better care of herself, sleeping better since they've been together. Actually, if she's completely honest with herself, it's him, _he's_ been taking care of her and she's been _letting_ him... and that's huge for her.

"And _you_ haven't benefited at all from _my_ presence?" Kate asks with mock sarcasm.

"Well there's definitely been certain physical _benefits_ for both of us wouldn't you say?" Castle winks and looks directly at her, just waiting for the Beckett-glare that he knows is coming. He makes sure he still has their grocery cart between them for his own protection as he clarifies his little double entendre. "All the running and yoga you've had me doing has definitely had _benefits_. I feel great and I look _good_... just makes you want me more, right?"

He folds his arms, waits. And there it is, the look that can make murderers and other hardened criminals weak at the knees, but Castle can see the amusement behind the glare and the teasingly lustful look in those beautiful green eyes. Their date with his bathtub is still on.

xoxoxoxox

"I'm starving," Kate says as they put the groceries away. "I might start dinner."

Castle shakes his head but he's grinning. "I still can't believe you're such a good cook yet you used to live on takeout."

"We're back to my prior dietary shortcomings?" she asks and pretends to me mad. "Really? Are you _trying_ to get me riled up?"

"Believe me, if I was trying to get you _riled up_, you'd know about it Kate." Castle answers and steps behind her, slipping his arms around her waist.

"Is that so? Well, by all means... enlighten me."

"Well, first I might consider bestowing one or two soft but well placed kisses on the back of your neck," he says and presses his lips to the skin just below her hairline, breathing in the cherry scent of her hair.

"Go on."

"Then, I might pay particular attention to a certain spot behind your ear that I'm fairly confident would go at least some way to achieving my goal," he whispers against her ear before kissing his way down the side of her neck.

"Hmmmm?" Kate hums, relishing the feeling of his mouth.

"And if that were to elicit the desired reaction, I might consider something a little more face to face."

Castle turns her to face him then and their gazes lock. Blue eyes meet green and they smile before he crashes his mouth to hers. They are hungry, rushed at first with eagerly probing tongues and semi-frantic hands but they gradually slow; her arms drifting seductively around his neck, his circling her lower back to pull her against him and they both moan softly when their hips make contact.

"Then, there's every chance my hands might seek to caress bare skin," he says against her mouth, his lips barely ghosting over hers as both hands slip under the back of her T-shirt. "You see I've already identified particular areas of _interest_."

"Such as?" Kate breathes, loving the feel of his warm hands on her bare skin; his touch a promise of what's to come.

"Well for instance, if I make lazy circles along your spine you'll eventually start purring." She snorts in mock indignation but she knows he's right. She _is_ especially fond of his fingertips on the skin of her back and yes, she may have purred contentedly in the past as they danced their way along her passion heated skin.

"But if I'm not careful, or if I just decide to torture you, my fingers might brush a certain incredibly ticklish spot just at the curve of your waist," he teases and when he runs the back of his fingertips over the aforementioned area she giggles.

Castle loves the wonderful sound of Kate Beckett giggling. He remembers the first time he heard it, when he chased her into her bedroom, pinned her to her bed and tickled her senseless until she released the DVR remote so he could see if she really was, as he suspected, recording Temptation Lane. Of course, by the time they finished they were naked, her neatly made bed was a train wreck and the remote was lost somewhere in the tangle of sheets and frantically discarded clothing.

"My next move might possibly involve removing certain articles of clothing," he whispers against the centre of her chest where he is planting warm wet kisses inside the V-neck of her shirt."

Kate doesn't have time to respond before he tugs her T-shirt over her head and deftly unfastens her bra. When he drops his head to one breast she entwines her fingers in his hair and lets sensation take over. His tongue circles her nipple and he takes his sweet time, tasting her, teasing her. She's almost a puddle when he eventually returns his mouth to hers and they begin kissing with increased fervour until he drags his mouth away so he can continue his monologue.

"Assuming I still have your undivided attention I might utilise some of my superior fine motor co-ordination to unbutton your pants and slip my very dextrous fingers inside. I love that first touch. I can feel how wet you are."

Kate's breath hitches and her hips rock forward at his words, at the feel of his hand inside her jeans. She desperately wants him to touch her but when he makes slow firm circles _over_ her underwear she moans with a mixture of pleasure and frustration. His other hand cups the back of her head and she lets it loll back into his palm as her eyes drift closed and she sighs a soft "Don't stop."

"Then I'm going to watch you Kate, watch you press yourself against me, watch you bite your lip and when I know you're getting close, when I know you want my fingers inside you..." He pauses then and waits until she opens her eyes to level a confused, lust-filled look at him. "When I know you're almost there I'll... go and take a shower because I said I'd get you _riled up_, I never said anything about _getting you off_."

With that, he abruptly breaks all physical contact, turns on his heal and heads for the bathroom, grinning smugly as he sets a mental stopwatch to time how long it takes for her to join him.

Kate takes a full minute to register what has just happened and he's lucky he isn't in the room when she does, because she may have caused him actual physical harm. _Oh, he is so going to pay for that_, she thinks to herself and begins hatching a plan. Despite the almost unbearable throbbing in her core and wanting desperately to follow him, press him against the shower wall and literally _jump_ him, she takes her time and pours herself a glass of wine, half of which she devours immediately to take the edge off.

Castle waits in the shower, assuming she'll join him fairly swiftly, but after several long minutes there is no sign of her and he wonders if his little performance has backfired; but then he feels the shower lose pressure slightly and realises she's running the bath. He stays put as she lights candles and sets a glass of red wine down on the edge of the tub before undressing.

"So you're not going to join me?"

"No. Seems you left me with some _unfinished business_ that I need to address immediately. Thought I might take care of things in the bath with a glass of wine for company. It's worked for me in the past," she adds and waits for her words to register.

The sight of her gloriously naked by candlelight in the rapidly darkening bathroom, as the thunder and lightening continue unrelentingly outside has him more than a little mesmerized; so it takes a minute before he processes her meaning... and then his jaw drops open.

"You're going to... You mean..? While I'm..." Castle blurts, his verbal stumbling eliciting a smug grin from Kate. It's exactly the reaction she expected and as she steps into the tub she starts counting backwards from ten. She barely gets to seven before the shower is off and he's standing next to the bath, naked, dripping wet and looking more than a little stunned.

She is still standing when she chuckles, "Are you okay there Castle? You might want to close your mouth."

He obeys but makes no other movements, eventually attempting to speak though. "Were you seriously going to... While I was in the...?"

"What do you mean _was I?_ I'm still going to take care of things but you're starting to distract me. I think I'd appreciate some privacy so close the door on your way out will you?"

Kate is struggling to maintain her poker face as a myriad of emotions, from lust to shock and confusion play across his reddened face. He appears to be at a loss as to where to look, what to say and his first purposeful movement in minutes is to grab a towel because by now he's getting cold despite being so utterly flustered. She is stunned when he actually turns and heads for the door.

"God you're easy Castle," she laughs and he turns to face her again. "For that stunt earlier I _should_ lock you out and let you spend some time thinking about me in here, _taking care of things._ But I've decided you might prove to be useful if I let you stay."

Her lascivious look eventually penetrates his confused, lust-addled mind and he bestows her with an equally salacious grin. "So exactly how might I be of service?"

"Climb in and I'll show you." Kate suggests and picks up her wine, taking a long swallow as she watches him over the rim of her glass, naked and oh so aroused. She feels her own face flush and her pulse quicken again as he steps into the bath, his eyes not leaving hers.

They stand facing each other in the centre of the huge oval tub; the room in semi-darkness now except for the candlelight and intermittent flashes of lightening that add a bright but eerie glow. Castle takes her wine glass from her, taking a large mouthful before setting it down. Their gazes lock once again and they step towards each other.

"You are such a tease," he says in a low, sultry tone as he circles her back with his arms and pulls her against him. Kate's arms snake around his neck and she leans into him, into the feel of his hard body, his arousal pressed firmly between them, but when he leans in and tries to kiss her she arches back slightly.

"Not so fast. What exactly _was_ that stunt earlier?"

"No stunt, just a little foreplay," he smirks.

"Yeah well, you're lucky you're not on the outside of that door listening to me enjoy the _main event_ all by my lonesome."

Castle gulps as once again he conjures an image of Kate, eyes closed, head back, hands moving below the surface of the water and he must let out a moan because Kate gently headbutts him. "Hey, focus your dirty mind here for a minute."

"You're talking about indulging in a little... _self-gratification_ and you're calling _me_ dirty. That's about the hottest, dirtiest, sexiest thing you've ever said to me." Castle says as he leans towards her, mouth close to her ear.

"You're so easily distracted sometimes," she says and proceeds to wriggle closer, brushing her breasts against his chest and her lips against his.

"Oh, but I can be very focussed when I need to be," he says and pulls her completely against him, and once again Kate can feel just how focussed a certain part of him seems to be. He lightly touches his lips to hers and reassures her, "You have my undivided attention."

Their lips meet then, soft and unhurried as Castle glides his tongue over her bottom lip and she allows him access, both tasting the red wine and the unique but now familiar taste of the other. Their tongues are searching, their lips and teeth playful; probing, nipping and sucking gently but eventually their playfulness escalates. Their kisses becomes heated, idle hands begin touching and both of them can feel the other's heart thumping in their chests.

Kate drags her mouth from his and trails a series of kisses along his jaw, down the front of his throat to the hollow there. She knows he loves her doing that and when he tilts his head back, he sucks in a sharp gasp and surrenders to the feel of her mouth. She grins against his overheated skin.

"Feel what you're doing to me," Castle growls and thrusts his hips forward.

"Feel what you did to me earlier," Kate says in a voice barely above a whisper and takes his hand, guiding it over her stomach and lower.

Castle crashes his lips back to hers as he settles his hand between them and when she moans and rocks her hips forward he gives her what she wants. His fingers slide through her wetness, occasionally brushing against her most sensitive spot and as he presses against her entrance she clutches desperately at his broad smooth back, gasping loudly and arching backwards when he suddenly slips two fingers inside her.

There's a brief minute when he thinks he's hurt her but this fear is immediately allayed when she grabs his hand and presses it against her. He has no intention of stopping this time and he relishes the feeling of her wetness as he begins firm slow movements in and out of her slick heat.

Kate latches her teeth onto his bottom lip and thrusts her tongue into his mouth; it's movements mimicking those of her hips against his hand. The pressure is building low in her belly and as sure as she can feel it; the heat, the tingling throughout her entire body, Castle can sense it too; the tightening around his fingers, the frantic clutching at the back of his head and the soft whimpering onto his mouth.

"Is this better than touching yourself Kate?" He rasps, dragging his mouth from hers so he can look at her.

"Oh God," Kate almost sobs as his fingers slide deeper and his thumb circles her clit. Everything tightens but she somehow manages to not screw her eyes shut, maintaining his gaze as she hurtles over the edge, the power of the storm outside a symbolic manifestation of the force of her climax.

Castle slips down into the steaming bathwater and pulls her down with him, still facing one another, his legs along the bottom of the tub and hers stretched out over his. They are enveloped in a liquid cocoon and he holds her close, chest to heaving chest as she burrows her face into his neck.

Kate takes a minute to catch her breath and he feels her eyelashes flutter against his skin before she raises her head to kiss him softly. He decides to let her set the pace now, his breath catching when she leans back to slip her hand between them. When she curls her fingers around his length he collapses against the end of the bath.

She loves to touch him, his smooth hardness; and here in the bath the water allows her hands to slide more freely over him. She strokes him firmly from base to tip, her thumb circling his head and she darts her eyes between what her own hands are doing and the reactions playing across his face; his head is back, his mouth slightly ajar, breathing ragged and every so often his half closed eyes manage to focus briefly and meet her gaze.

He smiles an awe-filled, love-drunk smile and she leans forward, continuing to stroke him as she kisses his chest, dragging her teeth across his pebbled nipples because she knows he loves that too. She rocks her own hips, enjoying the delicious friction it creates against his hair-roughened thighs.

Castle can feel the gradual tightening in his groin, the tension in his belly and despite loving the feeling of her touching him, he wants more. He doesn't need to say anything though, because Kate wants it too and as she shifts forward slightly he sits up, lifts her hips and as their eyes lock, their bodies join.

They savour the feeling, her warm wet heat gradually surrounding him; his impressive length, smooth and hard sliding slowly inside her. They begin moving in unison, a slow and subtle rocking of their pelvises at first, chests and mouths pressed together. As their passion builds Castle bends his knees, pressing her closer and him deeper, and Kate locks her legs behind his back. There's an alternating rocking and lifting motion that excites and satisfies them for a while but eventually it's not enough.

Instinctively they sense the other's need for more, and in a move that has Castle grateful for all her yoga, she unhooks her legs, shifts her hips and in one fluid movement she's straddling him.

Castle looks at her in amazement but they quickly refocus their attention on the miraculously unbroken connection of their bodies and gradually increase their pace. Kate rests her hands lightly on his shoulders but when he lowers his head and takes her nipple into his mouth she tightens her grip and allows her head to fall back.

He's torturing her with warm gentle suction as he brings his hands to her hips, guiding but not controlling her movements. The softness of his lips contrasts with the roughness of his tongue and she's not sure which she prefers but in combination it makes her head spin. She presses her chest into his touch as they continue the rhythmic rocking of their hips, her breath hitching every time he makes an unexpected upwards thrust.

As their pace increases Kate changes the angle of her hips and Castle leans back again, raising a hand to caress the back of her neck and drag her face to his.

"I love you," he whispers as his hips buck upwards and his mouth opens against hers. Kate rests her hands on the edge of the bath, either side of his head and leans completely into his kiss, into the motion of his hips and the way her centre is rubbing against his lower abdomen. She squeezes him tight and he moans.

Castle is torn between wanting this to go on and on and his need for release, bit when Kate deliberately tightens around him again and responds with a breathless, "I love you too," he's no longer in a position to prolong anything.

"Kate," he cries raggedly as their rhythm intensifies, because he desperately wants her with him. "Kate I can't..."

"Shhhh," Kate whispers. "Let go Rick, I'll be there."

They spiral wildly upwards and Kate savours the feel of him letting go of his ever-present self control and he relishes in the tightening of her body around him because it means she's with him. The shock of her lifting herself up and sliding roughly back down his length drags a loud moan from deep in Rick's throat and when she does it again, they are both bought completely undone by the powerful sensation of him sliding back inside her.

Kate cries out first, a surprisingly soft series of sounds given the power of her release. Castle is more vocal, gasping an "Oh God," before softly chanting her name over and over as he spills into her.

"Can you move yet?" Castle whispers eventually. She has collapsed against his chest and as he loosens his grip he begins gently stroking her back.

"Do you want me to?"

"Nope."

"Good, because I'm happy right here."

Castle chuckles as she snuggles against him, the bath water still warm enough to let them stay in a little longer and apart from the sounds of the howling wind and the low rumble of thunder, they settle into a blissful silence.

After several flashes of lightening Kate feels him smile against her temple and she whispers "What?" against his chest.

"Us like this. It reminds me of another stormy night."

They both smile then and allow their minds to drift back to their first night together. Neither dwells on the anger, betrayal or desperation that led them there, instead they get swept up in the joy, the fierce hunger, the passion, tenderness and the love.

"It was perfect," Kate says softly. "We were perfect."

They drift back into another long silence until Castle says, "So, tell me about the times you um... took matters into your own hands."

"I was just teasing you Castle," she says unconvincingly.

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you've got a dirty mind."

"And you've got a dirty little secret."

"Oh Rick, you've got _no idea_ how many dirty secrets I've got." Kate laughs. "Now let's go get some food."

xoxoxoxox

Kate stretches slowly in the overcast morning light, noting a pleasant soreness in different parts of her body and she smiles as she looks over at a still sleeping Castle. Their encounter in the bath the evening before was only their first, with a later fight over the last M&M resulting in a brief but somewhat acrobatic interlude on the couch. She's grinning at the memory when Castle rolls towards her and notices her smile.

"You look very pleased with yourself."

"Hmmm," is her only response as she stretches again, grimmacing as she rolls to her side.

"Sore and sorry?" Castle asks, leaning in to kiss her softly.

"Sore, yes. Sorry, never," she grins.

"I have just the remedy," he says and tries to spring out of bed but the pained furrow of his brow hints at his own discomfort.

Kate lets him tug her towards the shower and as he adjusts the temperature of the dual showerheads, she stands at the huge windows looking out at the murky, white-capped water lapping harshly on the shore of his private beachfront. The storm has passed but it's still raining heavily and a strong wind is beating the rain against the glass.

Castle watches her, spectacularly naked with the dark sky and menacing ocean as her backdrop. She's all lithe muscle, gentle curves and soft flawless skin and his breath catches and his groin tightens as she raises her arms above her head and stretches gently to either side.

He can see the muscles of her toned back ripple and her spine curve into an almost perfect 'C' as she manipulates the kinks from her joints. His gaze drifts down to her incredibly long legs and even after months together he still shakes his head in wonder that she's here, with him; and just last night she was whispering I love you in his ear while those legs were wrapped around him.

"Staring again, Castle?"

"Always, Beckett," he responds with a chuckle. He hardly calls her that anymore but every so often amidst their teasing it slips out and she likes it. Kate uses Castle and Rick in fairly equal measure with no real preference or pattern. Except maybe a slight lean towards _Rick_ when she's moaning his name during their _private_ moments.

She turns to him then and makes no attempt to disguise the way her eyes roam over him; his broad powerful nakedness, the angles softened just a little by age; and his arousal, obvious and potent.

He reaches for her and they stumble into the shower, kissing hungrily but they both know there will be no wet and wild shower sex this morning. As they succumb to the languid warmth of the steam-filled shower their kisses slow and they let the hot water sooth their aches and loosen their muscles. Castle moans contentedly as Kate kneads the kinks from his neck and shoulders and eventually he reciprocates.

Kate sighs loudly as he firmly presses his fingers into the knots of her spine and she groans when he takes one of the shower heads, twists the nozzle and places the now pulsing jet of water against her lower back.

"Oh God. That's so good."

"Apparently so. You sound like you're about to co..."

"Seriously Rick, that feels so good I almost could," Kate interrupts and sighs again as her eyes drift closed, thus missing the lustful smirk on his face.

Standing behind her, with one hand still kneading the small of her back, he moves the showerhead around her body and when the steadily pulsing stream makes contact with her centre her eyes fly open. Her hips give a surprised, involuntary twitch and he places a steadying hand in the bony crest. The wonderful sensations are immediate and Kate leans back into his chest as he begins softly kissing the side of her neck. The tension builds in seconds and the rhythmic pulsing of the water combined with the circular motions he's making with the nozzle has her shuddering to a powerful, leg-trembling climax in an embarrassingly brief period of time.

They both chuckle as she turns and sags against him, her arms around his neck for support. "That must be some kind of record," she breathes.

"So I'm forgiven for yesterday?"

"I'd forgiven you last night, but feel free to apologize like _that_ any time."

"You know you still haven't told me about the times you've ummm... How you..." His voice trails off and for a wordsmith, he's remarkably inarticulate just then.

Kate laughs, knowing exactly what he's getting at, and with a wink she says, "Lets just say there may have been the odd occasion when out of necessity, I've _taken matters into my own hands_; usually in the bath, with a glass of wine and maybe a good book... there's a certain writer I _really_ like." And with that she saunters, stark naked out of the ensuite.

Castle stands motionless and slack-jawed until he hears her call out from the bedroom.

"Close your mouth Castle."

******I know it's long and you're probably sick of me now, but I'd love some feedback… please.**


	4. Safe & 'Secured'

**Wow, thanks for the reviews, alerts and faves. They have motivated and encouraged me so I really have to apologise for my update tardiness. This chapter had me totally stuck. Not sure why, but hopefully it won't happen often. Please enjoy and I'd love to hear your thoughts.**

Disclaimer: Not mine but I try to treat them with the respect they deserve.

**Safe & 'Secured'  
**

When Kate hears his key in the lock she dashes to her bedroom, the finishing touches to her plan only a slip and a snap away. The apartment lights are dimmed, rooms are silent apart from dull street noise and the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock, and the first part of his _surprise_ awaits; a small package sitting alone on the hall table where he always puts his keys.

As Castle shrugs off his coat he is surprised by the silence. He thought Kate would already be here and he tries to temper both his disappointment and his urge to call her immediately. He knows she needs her space and he gives it to her but it doesn't come naturally to him like all the other things he does for her. Giving her space, time to herself is something he has to force himself to do because he would happily spend every minute of every day with her. He is depositing his coat on the rack when he notices a box sitting in place of her red ceramic 'odds and ends' bowl - a vessel usually filled with keys, loose change, hair elastics, mints and other paraphernalia. There's no card, nothing to identify the contents or the intended recipient so he opens it.

Inside is a folded note atop a small silver key. With fingers trembling in recognition and sudden anticipation he unfolds the smooth white paper and in Kate's neat handwriting are the words...

_You have the key __to my door,  
__and __the key to my heart.  
__O__nce you identify this extra key,  
the fun can really start!  
P.S. In case you're confused, in shock or having a heart attack, I'm in the bedroom.  
__KB x_

Rick Castle knows exactly what the key is for because he has had many fantasies about Kate Beckett and handcuffs, oh how he's fantasized, and these thoughts swirl through his mind as he allows himself to hope, with every fibre if his being, that one of his long-held fantasies is about to come true.

Kate listens to his movements in the entryway as she slips off her long silk robe, the smooth fabric like a soft caress over her naked and already sensitised skin. She settles herself on the bed, the fine cotton sheet only just covering her as she expertly snaps the handcuffs around her wrists, securing them to the headboard. And then she waits.

Castle slowly pushes the bedroom door open, showing more restraint than he is actually feeling, and peers into the room. He notices the dimness first and then he notices _her_ and the sight before him has his mind reeling... in a very good way. In his fantasies _she _is always the one cuffing _him._ She's the one in control, but as he processes the astonishing reality of this situation, this completely unexpected scenario, he wonders how such an unbelievably arousing possibility has not featured in at least fifty percent of his fantasies; Kate Beckett naked, handcuffed to her bed and waiting... for _him_.

But he knows why, deep down he knows his subconscious mind recognised that Kate, at least the old Kate, would never relinquish so much control, would never allow herself to be so vulnerable and would never trust someone enough to surrender her power; until now. Aside from his obvious arousal, Castle is feeling a plethora of emotions - awe, love, lust but most of all he's feeling privileged. This is huge for her and she trusts him enough, wants him enough to leave herself naked and exposed in both the figurative and literal sense of the words.

She grins at him then and he realises that while it _is _a big step for her, she's taking it willingly, with a smile on her face and a devious twinkle in her lust-darkened eyes and maybe, just maybe he's overthinking this, taking things too seriously. So, as he stands motionless in the doorway he smiles back at her and his mind begins racing with possibilities as he tries to visualise what comes next.

"What are you waiting for Writerboy?" she asks in her best bedroom voice.

"Just contemplating my next move and wondering if I should grab an extra _surprise, _or two," he says in a voice that's husky with desire and trembling a little with residual shock.

"Just let your dirty mind and your imagination run wild Rick," she says with a wink and stretches seductively on the bed. "And don't keep me waiting too long."

Castle gulps and Kate's grin broadens. He's such a contradiction sometimes, especially when it comes to sex. He's adventurous, almost bordering on scandalous at times and she loves it, he's extremely talented and shamelessly vocal about all the things he likes and _would like_ to do to her. Yet he's infinitely tender and gentle, almost reverent with her sometimes and despite dropping hints about her wild-girl days, he still seems shocked at her enthusiastic participation in some of his more lascivious ideas and genuinely surprised when she makes a lewd suggestion of her own. Nothing however compares to the look on his face now; the shock, the lust and the hint of panic in his eyes is as adorable as it is arousing.

"Hold that thought," he says and disappears into her ensuite.

When he emerges there's no shock or uncertainty left in his eyes. His look, his posture, the tone of his voice oozes confidence, playfulness and raw unadulterated hunger. He has something behind his back but before Kate can even attempt to peek, he's sitting next to her on the bed and his lips are on hers. It's a searing kiss, full of all the things they are feeling and it steals their breath. When they separate out of necessity, their need for air overpowering their need for each other, he asks her to close her eyes.

Without hesitation and without a word, she allows her eyelids to drift closed. Castle moves his hands from behind his back and ties the silk necktie he has retrieved from the back of the bathroom door over her closed eyes. He's watching her face, looking for any sign of apprehension or doubt but sees nothing like that. She grins again and then almost brings him undone when she bites her lip and says, "Just so you know, my safe word is cherries."

"Oh God," he gasps before whispering, "I'll be right back."

She listens carefully and can hear him rustling around in the kitchen and then he's back, breathless but otherwise silent. Kate can sense his presence, eventually hearing him moving around the room and she can tell he's undressing next to the bed. As the mattress dips under his weight she hears him set something down on the bedside table.

A large warm hand strokes the side of her face and neck just before she feels his warm breath on her ear. "So, cherries huh," he whispers. "That's your safe word?"

"Yep," she gasps as he latches his teeth onto her earlobe before kissing his way down the side of her neck, along her jaw to her mouth and just as their lips make contact she says in a breathless whisper, "Am I going to need it?"

"We'll see. Depends how much sweet torture you can take," he answers in a timbre so low and seductive that it actually makes her shiver.

His lips are on hers again, hot and demanding, and a soft moan escapes from her as their tongues meet. She's half-propped in a pile of pillows, her hands secured above her and Castle leans over her as their kiss slows, becoming a languid exploration of the others' mouth, familiar and unhurried but hot as hell.

Castle eventually breaks the kiss and Kate, despite him not having touched her anywhere else is flushed, breathless and completely turned on. This is so much better than anything her imagination has ever conjured; she's handcuffed in _her_ bed, naked and now blindfolded, and she's as aroused as she's ever been in her life. Castle's musings about her dislike for not being in control, her reluctance to let anyone have the upper hand are undeniably accurate, but that was the old Kate. The new Kate is not only willing, but excited to hand the reins over to Rick Castle. He is about to have his way with her and she's completely and deliberately at his mercy.

Kate feels him shift again and his fingers circle her ankles. As he gently drags her down the bed so she's almost flat on her back, the smooth sheets feel cool and soothing against her sensitised skin whereas his hands on her ankles have the opposite effect, setting her skin aflame. When he straddles her upper thighs he leans down and she feels his warm breath caress her lips before he begins planting butterfly kisses all over her face.

"I'm going to kiss you all over Kate. I'm going to touch you, tease you and bring you to the brink until you're pleading with me to let you come and when I won't, you'll be begging me to take the cuffs off. You'll be so close to the edge you might even consider taking matters into your own hands," he forewarns her as he kisses his way across both her clavicles. "You doing that is definitely on my _must see _list after you dangled that very tempting carrot in the Hamptons. I haven't forgotten, but not today, today it'll be me who gets you there; you won't know when but it'll be... _memorable._"

"Oh God," she gasps when suddenly his mouth begins moving over her chest before latching onto one nipple, applying gentle suction and stroking roughly with his tongue. Castle takes his time, slowly lavishing equal attention on both breasts with his hands and his hot eager mouth. He firmly tweaks one nipple between his fingers as he nips and eventually bites, harder than usual, on the sensitive peaks. Kate hisses in surprise at the sensation; somewhere between pleasure and pain and it feels amazing.

She can't see him, can't touch him, but she can hear, smell, taste and _feel _everything; his breath, his hands, his mouth on her and her senses are overwhelmed by the avalanche of sensation she is experiencing.

She can hear her own blood rushing in her ears, her heart thumping in her chest. She can hear their equally ragged breathing as he kisses his way with infinite slowness down her body. His hands completely replace his mouth on her breasts, his thumbs now gently teasing her nipples as he presses his nose between them and his lips against the base of her sternum. He alternates the soft and warm pressure of his lips with the rough wet thrust of his tongue against her skin and she can hear his quiet murmurings and words of love.

She can feel his hands trembling slightly when he lifts his arms to drift his fingertips down her safely secured limbs, across her chest and belly, along the sensitive and in some spots, downright ticklish skin at her waist, over her thighs, down the length of her legs, all the way to the tips of her red painted toenails. Castle chuckles when she wriggles her toes and laughs in response to his thumbnails running the length of each sole. She has the most sensitive feet he's ever seen and he tortures her frequently by tickling them. He is the one responsible for the red polish on her toes; just for fun he'd painted them for her one night in bed and the squealing, squirming and shrieking involved had had him worried the entire building would think he was hurting her.

Her laughter evolves into a gasp when his hands travel slowly up the inside of each thigh and one finger brushes a single featherlight stroke across her aching centre. She can almost _feel_ his eyes on her, knows they will have darkened to a deep inky blue and she raises her hips and parts her legs slightly. She can _feel_ how wet she is and he will too when he eventually touches her and God she _wants_ him to touch her, but she also knows he can probably _see_ how wet she is. And as if he's reading her mind he says in a rough whisper, "You're so wet Kate. So ready for this..."

As his voice trails off he slowly slides two fingers inside her and they both gasp suddenly; her at the unexpected but welcome intrusion and he at the sight of her hips lifting off the bed, her back arching and his own fingers disappearing into her warm wetness. She moans softly as his digits move and curl, and her wrists jerk involuntarily against her restraints. She's impatient and wants him to touch her everywhere but she zeroes her focus in on where he _is_ touching her, savouring every delicious sensation, allowing herself just to _feel._ She doesn't have a choice anyway, she's completely at his mercy, and she is loving it.

The final senses being overwhelmed by him are taste and smell. The taste of his skin and his kisses linger as does the familiar scent of the room; the smell of the timber furniture and these days, the mixture of both of _them, _their favourite fragrances, shampoos and lotions. She's also inundated by the completely individual aroma of Richard Castle, woody and citrusy and _male_ and it's fifty percent expensive cologne and fifty percent _him_. She can also smell arousal, his but mostly her own; the heady musky scent of _need_ that fills both their nostrils, and these pheromones cause a primitive chemical reaction in both of them.

As his oral and tactile safari over her body continues they are both wound tight. Castle is struggling to maintain his slow and thorough exploration as self-control begins to lose the battle against raw, almost primal need. His mouth blazes a hot wet trail from one jutting hipbone to the other, nipping roughly at her skin before kissing his way south and finally making contact where she craves it most. His tongue teases her at first and again her hands jerk against the cuffs because she wants to grab fistfuls of his hair and hold him against her. She whimpers and lifts her hips towards his too gentle mouth and with a groan he applies more pressure, creates more friction with his lips, tongue and teeth because holding back is becoming almost impossible. Kate is a frenzied mess with every nerve ending on fire, desperate for release from this exquisite torture.

His hands are splayed against her taut stomach and he feels those muscles, along with her internal ones tighten further when he thrusts his tongue into her. She's almost there, he can feel it and so he makes his next move, reaching over to the bedside table. Kate whimpers when he breaks contact and she feels him move, wonders with torturous and lustful uncertainty what he's up to. She thinks she hears him pick up a glass and can't quite believe he's chosen _right now _for a drinks break, but he moves again and then she feels it, and gasps loudly. Her skin is on fire, almost blisteringly hot and suddenly his tongue is just below her naval and it's pressed flat in freezing cold contrast to the temperature of her overheated flesh. He's using her own ice-cube trick on her and as his cold tongue glides lower, her blindfolded eyes squeeze shut, her spine bows and the low mewling that erupts from her is unfamiliar; not like any sound she's ever uttered before. He briefly takes another icecube in his mouth, swirling it thoroughly before he uses his tongue to press it against her, slowly laving it over her folds.

Kate whimpers again, her entire body tensing, the chains of the handcuffs rattling against the headboard as she strains against their confines. She breathes, "God Rick," in a barely audible whisper as his cold tongue moves over, around and inside the over-sensitised musky wetness of her centre and Castle feels like he's only one step from heaven. She's hot, wet and writhing under his ministrations and it's _everything; _amazing, arousing, satisfying, humbling, any number of adjectives and it's making him dizzy... or maybe it's the fact that he's certain there's not a drop of blood left anywhere in his body north of his painfully hard erection. His brain must be completely devoid of blood flow and his head is spinning.

As he continues the sweet torture with his mouth he takes one of the icecubes in his fingers and slowly swirls it around one of her nipples. It peaks immediately and Kate hisses roughly as this combination of sensations edges her closer to what she is certain will be a finale to end all others. She's panting and thrashing desperately and while Castle's original intention was to take her to the brink but not let her come, he is almost as frantic as she is. He can't stop, can't deprive himself of the sweet and salty taste of her, can't deny himself the rush of male pride he's feeling at being able to do this to her because he is being rewarded by the wild rocking of her hips, by the moans his efforts are eliciting and finally by the hiss of "Oh God, Castle. Yes," as she teeters on the edge. So he makes it happen with his mouth and his fingers and when she comes undone at the final stroke of his tongue it's loud and primal and almost unravels him.

Castle lifts his head and growls at he sight that greets him; wild chestnut curls framing her beautifully flushed face, her brow furrowed and jaw clenched as the last waves of her climax ebb, chest heaving, back still arched slightly and arms pulling against her restraints. When he slides up her body he kisses her long and slow, sharing the taste if her own arousal with her as his tongue probes the recesses of her mouth, and then he removes the blindfold. Swallowing the low, almost guttural moan she makes as he presses himself against her, he locks his eyes with hers for the first time since this really began.

They don't speak; they communicate everything with a single look just as they have done since their very early days, since before they were lovers. The I love you's, the I want you, the desperate pleading for more is all relayed between lust darkened blue and green-brown eyes; and as Kate lifts her head to seek his mouth Castle presses his hips forward. They moan simultaneously at the feel of his smooth hard length sliding part of the way into her tight wet heat before crashing their mouths back together. Whimpers and gasps are all muffled by the frantic connection of their mouths but when Castle finally thrusts his hips hard and completes their connection he tears his mouth from hers and swears loudly.

His movements aren't fast but they are powerful, purposeful, hitting all the right places for both of them and Kate matches his forceful thrusting as she hooks her ankles around him. Castle has one hand under her head as he hovers above her, kissing her neck, her face and eventually their gazes lock again but as he's about to lower his mouth to hers she whispers, "Cherries."

He misunderstands for a split second and thinks she wants him to stop, but one look into the dark depths of her lust-filled eyes and he realises what she means. "Take these fucking things off so I can touch you," she says roughly, ensuring there's no doubt about what she wants. Castle had earlier slipped the key under the pillow and with remarkable speed and dexterity he unlocks the handcuffs and her hands fly immediately to his face, drawing him into another blazing kiss.

Their movements are erratic now but effective and as Kate arches desperately off the bed and moves her hands to clutch roughly at his back they both come harder than they ever have in their lives. It's powerful and prolonged as wave after wave of pleasure erupts, sending nerve endings firing and setting muscles aquiver. They are breathless, sweaty and completely overcome. Castle collapses on top of her and with Kate's legs still around him they lay motionless and speechless for a protracted period of time.

"Jesus Christ," Castle croaks eventually, raising his torso and supporting himself on still-trembling arms.

Kate smiles at him and gently strokes his face and chest. "Not sure _he'd_ approve of what we just did."

"I don't care, there's very few people in this world whose approval I give a damn about and one of them is currently naked underneath me, giving zero signs of disapproval."

They reluctantly part then and Castle rolls onto his back, Kate immediately pressing herself against his side, snuggling close and draping her arm across his chest.

"So, when you handed in your badge and gun you decided to hang onto the handcuffs. Any particular reason for that?" Castle teases.

"Oh, I handed mine back. These here..." she says as she dangles the cuffs from her index finger. "These are the spare set I used to keep in my car, but I recently decided they'd be much more useful in my bedroom."

"I'd always imagined being the 'cuffee' not the 'cuffer'," he suddenly confesses.

"Funny, in my fantasy it always unfolded something like today," she admits and then a devilish grin forms on her still-flushed face. Before he can even register her sudden movement, Kate launches herself upwards, straddles his thighs and pins his arms above his head. "But I'm all for a little turnabout."

He grins right back at her as she handcuffs him to her bed and blindfolds him. "This is so hot," he chuckles but his laughter dies when she suddenly kisses him, long and hard.

"You're laughing now, but just you wait; you aren't the only one adept at a little sweet torture," she says and begins to kiss her way down his neck and chest as she grinds her hip against his thighs. "But unlike you, I will have no difficulty in, how did you phrase it... _bringing you so close to the edge that you'll be pleading with me to let you come and when I won't, you'll be begging me to take the cuffs off so you can take matters into your own hands_."

Castle has just enough time to rasp out a "Sweet Jesus," before she bites down firmly on one nipple and takes his growing arousal in hand.

**You'll have to imagine what comes next... or I can write it. Let me know.**

**More chapters to come - they'll just be less regular because real life is about to make more demands on my time. Please stick with me.**


	5. Safe & 'Secured' Take 2

**Wow, thanks for the reviews, alerts, faves and the many requests to get _Castle_ 'cuffed'. This is shameless smut with a little bit of fluff. Hope you enjoy.**

Disclaimer: I own my imagination and my car, but sadly can claim no ownership of anything related to Castle.

**Safe & 'Secured' - Take 2**

Earlier: _Castle has just enough time to rasp out a "Sweet Jesus," before she bites down firmly on one nipple and takes his growing arousal in hand._

* * *

Their lips lock again in a scorching kiss, molten desire spreading through each of them like lava advancing across the landscape. An unabashedly aroused Rick Castle is sprawled supine on the bed, cuffed, blindfolded and at the mercy of a shamelessly dishevelled and equally aroused Kate Beckett. After the sweet torment he dispensed earlier Castle knows he's about to be on the receiving end of some fierce poetic justice… and he can't wait.

He sighs, tilting his head back as Kate, from her position astride his hips, kisses her way down his neck and as she begins to blaze a warm wet trail across his chest and down his torso she brazenly presses her damp arousal against him.

"Kate," he says with an unsteady tone that is best described as a poorly disguised whimper.

"Relax Castle," Kate grins against the small hollow at the base of his sternum, "I'm just getting started."

"Sweet Jesus," he croaks, repeating his earlier blasphemy.

Kate is a woman on a mission. Aside from the fact that she is desperate to exact her revenge, she is also loving every minute of kissing, touching and teasing him. She loves the feel of his skin, loves the way his muscles ripple and tense under her touch, the way he gasps and moans his approval; and she can't get enough of the way he smells and tastes. She's also a little fixated on the narrow strip of hair that runs from his navel to what is now her ultimate destination and nothing is going to distract her from her goal… nothing that is, except the frantic knocking and desperate cries of '_Detective Beckett, Detective Beckett_' coming from the direction of her front door.

"Who the hell is that?" Castle hisses.

"Sounds like my neighbour Mrs Rush."

"Ignore her." Castle says, in a very uncharacteristic reaction to an old woman in distress, but he's not exactly thinking straight right now.

"Rick, I can't. I'll just see what she wants okay? Give me two minutes."

As he feels the mattress shift he mutters, "Well it's not like I can stop you," and rattles the handcuffs for effect.

Kate hurriedly pulls on her robe and heads towards the increasingly frantic knocking, pausing to make sure the bedroom door closes behind her. The octogenarian in her hallway definitely does not need to know that there is a naked, blindfolded man handcuffed to her bed.

When she flings the door open, a very agitated and teary Mrs Rush, sobs loudly, "Oh Detective Beckett, you have to come. He's dead, he's dead," before she turns on her heel and heads in the direction of her own apartment.

None of her neighbours know she has resigned but despite no longer being a member of the NYPD, all Kate's cop instincts kick in and as she calls out for her neighbour to wait, she retrieves her gun (a pistol for which she has a permit) and her phone and races after the sprightly old lady. She briefly glances back towards her bedroom but she can't let a five-feet-nothing senior citizen near a dead body, and possibly a crime scene on her own, so she's forced to leave Castle in his current position.

Castle hears the distressed voice of Kate's elderly neighbour but can only make out _some_ of what she is saying. What he does hear loud and clear however is '_He's dead,_' and Rick almost rips his arms from their sockets when he tries to bolt off the bed. He's helpless and apart from managing to brush the blindfold off against a pillow he can do nothing but worry, call out intermittently and hope that Kate hasn't walked into something dangerous.

Just over twenty minutes pass and Castle's stress levels are escalating when he hears Kate's voice in the living room. She's comforting her neighbour, encouraging her to take a seat and eventually she re-enters the bedroom.

"Jesus Kate, what's happened?" he asks, a tremor of concern in his voice. "Who's dead?"

"Mrs Rush's dog." Kate answers quickly, to his immense relief. "Let me uncuff you and I'll explain."

She quickly removes the handcuffs and they both rummage around for their clothes while she fills him in on the unfolding drama.

"God, I had visions of poor old _Mr_ Rush murdered in his bed."

Kate chuckles, unsurprised by the fact that his writer's brain goes immediately to foul play. Well in all fairness, the possibility entered her head too but that was her cop instincts, not a preoccupation with murder, mystery and mayhem.

"Mr Rush has been dead for twenty years." Kate explains, "But for poor Stanley the poodle, it looks like a time of death around lunch time today."

"Poor Mrs Rush," Castle says with genuine sympathy.

"Yeah, poor old thing. I'm gonna make her some tea while we wait for the man from 'Furry Funerals' to collect Stanley."

"Furry Funerals?"

"Apparently there are a number of pet funeral homes in New York."

Castle is shaking his head in amazement as they both head into the living room and Mrs Rush appears a little taken aback at Castle's presence.

"Oh, Detective Beckett I'm sorry. I didn't know you had company," and her eyes well up again.

Castle immediately sits down next to the elderly woman and does what he does best, he spins her a story. "There's no problem Mrs Rush, I just got here. I thought Kate was out so I let myself in. I'm very sorry to hear about Stanley," he reassures her, mostly to make her feel better but also to avoid having to explain why he didn't offer any assistance during the crisis.

It's past dinner by the time Kate escorts Mrs Rush back to her apartment. "I'm sorry to hear you're no longer a Detective," she says once they reach her door."

"It was time for a change," Kate explains simply.

"Well dear don't you go rushing to find another job. I think you should stay at home and have a bunch of babies with that lovely and very handsome fellow of yours. He's definitely a keeper and you two would make such beautiful babies."

And with that, the older woman disappears inside her apartment.

Kate is chuckling softly when she finds Castle in her kitchen, pouring them both a much-needed glass of wine. "I ordered us some food," he tells her as he raises his glass.

"To Stanley," Kate says.

"To a raincheck on the handcuffs," Castle adds and they both laugh.

"Don't worry Castle, I'll pull 'em out again one day soon and surprise you."

"I can't wait," he says as he lowers his face to hers and kisses her thoroughly.

[] [] [] [] []

"Richard Castle you are under house-arrest. You have the right to remain silent…"

Castle, drained after a meeting with Gina has just let himself into the loft and is surprised by the semi-darkness. He yelps loudly at the booming, authoritative voice of one Kate Beckett; former NYPD detective, current girlfriend and in either role, downright scary but incredibly hot as she begins to read him his rights.

She's standing in front of him, dressed in a very detective-like shirt and pants, very 'un'detective-like heels, even for her, and sporting a kick-ass stance with head high, hands on hips and chest out; and that's when he notices two things – the handcuffs clipped to her waist and the positively indecent number of shirt buttons that remain undone, revealing scraps of deep red lace covering creamy white flesh. Again, _very_ 'un'detective-like.

He trembles slightly, with the rush of lust that assaults his veins, his pulse and other more obvious parts of him; and yes there's a tinge of fear. Kate Beckett is a force to be reckoned with and even though he knew her handcuffs would eventually make another appearance he isn't expecting it tonight.

"Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of Beckett," she adds, smirking as she approaches him.

Castle gulps and drops the folder he is holding but stands his ground, loving the way she's staring him down, her dilated pupils a giveaway as to her own state of arousal.

"You have the right to speak only when spoken to and if you disobey I may be forced to silence you."

Castle, not renowned for his ability to remain silent _ever, _opens his mouth to say something, forcing Kate to _thoroughly_ _silence _him. She presses herself against him, audaciously grinding her hips into his and ghosting her already open mouth across his lips as she loosens his tie. He leans into her, snaking his arms around her back and meeting that warm inviting mouth, thrusting his tongue boldly into its recesses.

They kiss feverishly and Kate briefly forgets that she's the one in charge because she's unable to resist tangling one hand in his hair and grabbing his ass with the other as she moans loudly into his mouth. It's Castle's answering moan that brings her back to the task at hand and she tears her mouth away from his, using all her willpower not to whimper at the loss of contact.

"Do you understand Mr Castle?"

"Perfectly," he croaks and lifts his gaze to meet hers.

Hungry ink-blue eyes meet wide predatory ones, darkened to almost black by pure lust, and Castle feels his breath leave his body. Kate swiftly removes his tie and unbuttons his shirt, sliding it off his shoulders as she kisses her way across his chest, around the broad expanse of his back and laves the area between his shoulder blades with her hot, wet tongue. Slowly she drifts her hands down the length of his solid arms and entwines her fingers with his. He can feel her nose pressed against his back, her lips pressed against his sweat dampened skin and he leans back into her touch. Then, just as his eyes drift closed she roughly drags his arms behind his back and expertly snaps the cuffs over each wrist.

Kate grins at his shocked gasp; he's so damned easy sometimes. "C'mon Castle, you must've been expecting _that_?"

"Actually _officer,_" he answers, not wanting to use the word detective for fear of sending their thoughts in unwanted directions. "I'm currently feeling a little distracted and my brain is less than _optimally perfused_ due to all my blood rushing to my…"

"A simple yes or no would have sufficed," she says, trying to hide her amusement. "Especially given that you're meant to be keeping the talking to a minimum."

"So are you going to _punish_ me officer?" he asks lewdly.

"Oh, Mr Castle you have _no_ idea what's in store for you." Kate breathes hotly against his ear and nudges the backs of his knees with her own. "Now move, I've set up for your _interrogation _in the study."

With her palm applying firm pressure and bolts of electricity to the already overheated skin of his lower back, she guides him into his office, closes and locks the door and orders him to sit

There's a straight-backed chair, from the upstairs guest room he notices, in the middle of the floor and she guides his cuffed arms over the back of it as he sits. He still can't see her but she's moving behind him and suddenly he feels smooth fabric, probably his necktie, brush against his wrists as she loops it over the chain of the cuffs and securely fastens it to the chair.

"I thought you'd use my tie to blindfold me," he mumbles, wondering what delicious punishment he might receive for speaking without permission.

"Oh no Mr Castle, I want you to see _everything _I do to you," she informs him as she steps into his line of vision, her fingers at her shirt buttons and her voice low and husky. She's sex on legs, ridiculously long amazing legs and he thinks he might faint. "I want you to use those beautiful blue eyes to watch my every move because you'll know what I'm about to do before I do it and it's going to drive you crazy."

The noise Castle emits is more than a whimper and it sounds foreign, desperate, almost pained to his own ears. To the ears of Kate Beckett it sounds like surrender and it's _music_. It sends waves of feminine pride rolling through her and hot liquid heat directly to her core.

Painstakingly, she unbuttons her shirt, slides it from her body and tosses it onto his desk. Castle can't take his eyes off her and he's not sure what's more painful right now, his eyes because he hasn't blinked or his arousal which is still painfully confined within his pants.

His gaze is riveted as she flicks open the button of her fly, lowers the zipper and shimmies, yes shimmies, her pants down her hips and legs. They pool at her feet and are wide-legged enough that she can easily step out of them, leaving her before him in a flimsy red bra, the briefest of brief red lace cheekies and four-inch heels.

He closes his mouth then, for fear that he may actually start drooling and gulps as she approaches him. Without a word she steps close and plants a stiletto-clad foot firmly on the rug either side of his chair. It brings her lower abdomen and that scrap of red lace tantalizingly close to his face and he breathes her in; cherries and arousal.

His head moves forward of its own volition and just as his lips are about to make contact with the sweet soft skin of her belly she chastises him.

"Uh, uh, ahh. No touching either. I'm the only one doing the touching," she whispers softly as she settles herself astride his thighs and presses her lips to the side of his neck.

Castle can feel her warm lips moving over his throat, her teeth nipping softly at his Adam's apple while she continues to enlighten him as to what she has in store.

"I'm going to use my hands," she explains, dragging her fingernails seductively from the base of his throat, over his chest, across the rippling and twitching muscles of his abdomen to the waist of his pants, unfastening them slowly with slightly trembling fingers.

An audible sigh is the only utterance from a seemingly paralysed Castle.

"I'm also going to use my lips," she says and notes Rick is staring, apparently mesmerised by her red lipstick as she begins a slow trail of kisses in the wake of her fingers. "And let's not forget my tongue and my teeth."

Castle very nearly rockets out of the chair when she kneels before him, making her point by circling his navel with her tongue and tugging at the exposed waist band of his boxer-briefs with her teeth. He yelps loudly when she allows the elastic to snap back against his skin.

Kate levels a lecherous glance at him before she grabs at the waist of his pants. She doesn't need to ask him to raise his hips because they have developed a mind of their own, suddenly bucking upwards. She firmly tugs on both lower garments and divests him of them swiftly.

There is an audible sigh of relief as his painfully hard length springs free of the confines of his clothing and he looks down just in time to see Kate grinning like she's about to eat him alive; the mental imagery of that scenario almost makes his brain explode.

He watches, eternally grateful for the absence of the blindfold as she devours him with her eyes and licks her red lips before lowering her head.

"Heaven help me," he utters, with a croak and takes a deep breath, holding it until he feels the tip of her tongue flick across _his _throbbing tip.

Kate chuckles at the sudden rush of air that leaves his lungs and she feels it tickle her hair when she lifts her head again, just to make sure he's watching. Castle expects a smirk or a salacious grin but as she firmly grips his shaft with one hand she bestows upon him her trademark thousand-watt smile and a look of pure adoration that quickens his already racing heart. And then she takes him completely in her mouth.

His moan in loud and protracted as his head lolls back and his eyes drift closed. She circles his tip with her tongue, paying particular attention to the hypersensitive underside while she works her magic. Her hand is making subtle movements at his base as she takes him deeper in to the warm moist recesses, sucking, laving and stroking him into a frenzy. His arms pull against his restraints and his hips roughly jerk forward in an involuntary movement that he immediately regrets.

Kate doesn't flinch at the sudden, urgent thrust of his hips but she does briefly release him to meet his gaze, silently telling him not to regret his body's reaction to her before returning her mouth to his smooth thick hardness. She works him over thoroughly, applying firm suction and solid pressure, occasionally running her tongue along his entire length until she feels him nearing the end of his rope.

"Kaaate," he rasps desperately as his hands continue to jerk against the handcuffs and his hips buck forward.

She loves getting him to this point, revels in the fact that he's never sure if she's going to finish him off or jump him, and up until this exact moment she's not sure what she's going to do. But she wants all of him now, wants to taste the explosive power of his climax so she increases the pressure and pace of her ministrations, flattens her tongue against his most sensitive spot and allows him to slide deeper into her mouth. His whole body goes rigid and his roar is loud and primal as he comes.

Castle can't move, can't get enough air into his lungs and is certain that the thundering heartbeat he's feeling in his chest and inside his head may well be the end. He's convinced Kate Beckett has finally been the death of him.

"You okay there Writerboy?" she asks smugly as she rises from her knees and resettles herself astride his visibly trembling thighs.

"Give me a couple of hours and I will be," he says and finally opens his eyes.

They sit quetly for a moment, their gazes drifting to their flushed and grinning faces and when Castle leans in this time, she lets him kiss her. It's a slow teasing kiss at first, soft brushes of open mouths, gentle nibbling of lips and reverent stroking of tongues. Kate eventually deepens the kiss, circling his neck with her arms and Castle kisses her back, aware of his own saltiness in her mouth and just the thought of that glorious mouth on him elicits a sudden tightening in his groin and Kate smiles against his lips.

"Already?"

"What can I say, I'm a slave to your _extraordinary _talents _officer _Beckett."

"Not bad for an old guy," she teases, glancing down at the growing evidence of his rapid recovery.

Kate kisses him again, hard and fast this time before she slides off his lap. With her darkening eyes boring into his, she seductively slips her panties down her thighs and with the flick of one stiletto-clad foot they become airborne, miraculously landing on his desk.

"_You_ are magnificent," Castle says with a smile and a look that combines laughter and awe.

Still in her bra and heels she sits astride him again, closer now and her lace-clad breasts are tantalisingly close to his mouth. Castle lowers his head and runs his tongue between then, eliciting a low moan from her and spurring him on. He latches firmly onto one nipple through the soft lace of her bra, circling it with his tongue and her hips rock forward.

They both gasp at the increased intimacy of the contact and despite her best intentions to draw this out, Kate is getting impatient. There's a warm ache low in her belly, her skin feels like it's on fire and she's beginning to feel breathless and shaky.

She rubs her wet centre against him, loving the delicious friction it creates and she repeats it until there's an established rhythm of gentle rocking that he mimics with his own hips. Kate moans and lowers her mouth back to his as he relinquishes his contact with her breasts and it's a surprisingly languid kiss, as tender as it is passionate.

"Let me touch you. I need to touch you." Castle pleads against her mouth before abruptly whispering. "Apples."

At his softly uttered safe word Kate extracts the key to the handcuffs from her bra and unlocks them, the movement pressing his arousal firmly between then. His hands fly immediately to her back and he removes her bra before tenderly caressing his way down her chest and belly to settle his hands on her waist. He pulls her against him so they are chest-to-chest and as their gaze's lock briefly, a myriad of emotions flickering between them.

"God I love you," Castle breathes as he slowly slides both hands up the length of her spine to cup the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair. This elicits an exaggerated shiver from Kate and she raises her hips, can't wait any longer and shifts until she can begin lowering herself down his length. It's a blissfully slow glide and two sets of eyes drift closed, their foreheads meeting as they join completely.

Kate relishes the gentle stretch as she adjusts to his impressive size and Castle savours the sensation of her tight heat surrounding him and they are perfectly still, taking a moment to just feel the connection. They eventually rock gently together, building gradually, their eyes locked in a connection as intimate as their physical one. Eventually their passion escalates and they are clutching desperately at each other, their hips in frantic synchrony, their mouths hot and urgent, bodies pressed together.

When Kate feels him shift forward she assumes he's about to carry her to the bedroom but instead, he guides her legs around his waist, drops to his knees and lowers her to the rug, all without breaking their contact.

"Really Castle, the rug?"

"The bed's too far away and it's more comfortable than the desk," he responds as he thrusts firmly but slowly and it feels amazing.

Simultaneously their minds drift back to the utter humiliation they'd endured as a result of their one and only tryst on his desk; being totally busted having hot desk sex by his mother.

"You locked the door didn't you?" Castle asks with a frown.

"Yes," Kate answers with a hiss. "Now shut up and concentrate. You have the right to remain silent remember?"

They begin moving together again in perfect harmony, mouths meeting and bodies rocking to an age-old rhythm, the most familiar dance in the universe. Kate feels it first, that exquisitely familiar tightening, the rush of heat that makes her clutch him more tightly to her.

Even before he feels her fingernails dig firmly into the skin of his back, Castle notices the subtle change, knows she's almost there and shifts the angle and increases the speed of his hips to sink a little deeper, thrust a little faster. Her back arches and her eyes drift closed as every muscle tightens, a low moan beginning deep in her throat.

"Your turn now Kate," Castle whispers, his warm breath caressing her face as he maintains the white-knuckled pressure of his hands beside her head as he supports himself above her. "Just let go."

Blue eyes meet green then, and Kate almost melts under his gaze and the hot tide of sensation she's feeling. Once he hears her cry out and feels her tighten around him, hot and wetter than before, he comes with her. It's loud and intense and as he collapses against her, they each bury their faces in the other's neck, wondering with sated, breathless fascination how this just keeps getting better and better. He's so lost in his blissful haze that he almost misses the "I love you" she whispers softly in his ear.

[] [] [] [] [] []

"C'mon Kate, let me in. I can't manage my key," Castle implores from outside her apartment door. He's carrying precious cargo and it's moving and panting and he's doing his best to maintain his grip.

"What the hell are you doing out there," Kate says impatiently as she flings the door open, her eyes widening in surprise. "Castle, what have you done?"

"You said Mrs Rush was thinking about getting another dog so I…" His words drift off as he looks sheepishly at Kate and is a little stunned to see her eyes looking suspiciously bright. He can't resist teasing because he loves this soft emotional side of her, a side she's starting to show more and more. "Are those tears Kate Beckett?"

"No," she says too quickly and completely blows her cover when she sniffles. He's probably the most generous person she knows but he can still shock her sometimes with the depths of that generosity, his kindness and thoughtfulness.

"Hurry up and shut the door so I can put him down."

Once the apartment is secure Castle deposits the brown and white Jack Russell on the floor and the small dog sniffs Kate's feet briefly and allows her to scratch his head before launching himself onto her couch, spinning around twice and promptly falling asleep.

"You two must share some DNA," Kate jokes as she looks from Castle to the dog.

Castle quirks an eyebrow, asking a silent question and she answers, "You both fall asleep as soon as you get horizontal on my couch."

Castle chuckles and reaches for her, wrapping his arms loosely around her and kissing her nose. "In my own defence, you _jump_ me practically every time I sit there so most of my _napping _is post-coital."

They both laugh before Kate asks, "Where'd you get him. He's really cute."

"Well we _must_ share DNA then." Castle jokes and ducks quickly but he's not fast enough to avoid her when she swats him playfully. "I went to a local shelter. He sort of picked me and when I found out his name I just couldn't leave him there."

"Why? Is his name Richard?" Kate asks, her tone teasing.

"No smart ass, he goes by the name Beckett and hopefully Mrs Rush will love him as much as I love you."

* * *

**Hope that satisfies all those who were feeling cheated after the ending of the previous chapter. I also felt the need for a little cuteness at the end. Comments very welcome… in fact, I strongly encourage them. Please!**

* * *

**Also, just a note about spelling. I've had a few suggested corrections (thankyou for taking the time) but most (not all - some were my mistakes) are words where spelling varies depending on British vs. American dictionaries. We use the Queen's English where I'm from, so right or wrong, I have to stick with that. Cheers :-)**


	6. Drunk & Disorderly

**A/N: Once again, thanks for the favourites and the alerts. I love that people are reading my stories and hopefully enjoying them. If you are, please review, or if you're not please tell me how I can make them better.**

**I really struggled to get this chapter going but once I started I couldn't stop, thus the 5000+ word count. So if you're going to read on you might need a cuppa cos you'll be here a while.**

**Drunk & Disorderly**

Kate Beckett and Lanie Parish are smashed, and as they stumble out of the hot noisy club onto the streets of New York, the cool night air is a shock and has a mildly sobering effect, but not enough to ruin their buzz.

"Dammit Girlfriend, remind me again why we're leaving," Lanie complains, giving an unsteady and somewhat ungainly pirouette. "I was just finding my rhythm."

"Yeah, well that creepy guy who was stalking you all night was going to find more than your _rhythm_ if he'd managed to get his sweaty palms up your dress." Kate reminds her. "Besides, Castle's meeting us remember?"

"Oh, that's right. I have to interrupt my drinking and dancing, just when I was getting my _groove_ on so you can head home and get your_ freak_ on with Writerboy."

"Lanie." Kate says, doing her best to appear indignant.

"Evening ladies," a male voice interrupts from behind them and even with her ears ringing from the music inside and her brain foggy with alcohol, the effect of that deep seductive voice is immediate. Kate feels the gentle warmth of desire spread through her, tightening her belly, elevating her pulse, flushing her cheeks and as she turns slowly, her gaze locks with Castle's and he flashes her a sexy grin.

Blue eyes meet green and they pause, oblivious to everything and everyone else as they drink each other in; her in a little black dress and killer silver heels showing off her impossibly long legs, him in a dark suit and shirt, now sans tie with the top buttons open revealing just a hint of the broad, hair dusted chest beneath; and both take an exaggerated inhalation, somehow resisting the urge to fling themselves at each other.

"Oh, c'mon guys. _Enough_ with the eye sex on a public street," Lanie admonishes playfully, rolling her own eyes for dramatic effect, not a wise move given her blood alcohol level and she teeters unsteadily on her own four-inch heels. "It's only been a few hours, you can't have missed each other _that_ much. Seriously, you two look like you're about to eat each other alive and quite disturbingly, it's getting _me_ a little hot under the collar... enough already. _Geez, _I need another drink."

They come to their senses then, each managing to drag their lust darkening eyes from the other to look over at Lanie.

"Sorry," Castle apologises and smiles, meeting the knowing, _'you two are pathetic'_ look that Lanie levels at them because she's right, they _are _pathetic; hopelessly and pathetically unable to spend more than a few hours apart and Kate, the queen of 'I need my space' is worse than he is. But it's not only about wanting to rip each other's clothes off; it's about just wanting to _be_ together. "You've both obviously had a good night and you look gorgeous but _how_ either of you can walk in those shoes when you're sober, let alone when you're drunk, is beyond me."

"Are you suggesting we're 'ineb-erated'... umm, did I say that right?" Lanie slurs slightly.

"I think you mean ineberat... I mean inebria... yes we might both be just a little bit hammered," Kate stutters, also unable to wrap her mouth around the word inebriated.

"Just how many drinks have you both had?"

"We only had a bottle of Champagne... each," Lanie admits, wobbling slightly as she tries to step towards Castle. "Oh, and then we might've had a tiny bit of Tequila before we put our dancing shoes on."

"How much is a tiny bit?" Castle chuckles as he holds out an arm to each of them, watching in amusement as Kate twice tries to loop her arm through his, stumbling and swaying with each unsuccessful attempt. She's having trouble walking and he wonders how in hell she actually managed dancing.

"Just a few shots," Lanie answers for them both when it appears Kate is lacking the co-ordination required to walk and talk at the same time. "Oooh look, here comes a yellow chariot to whisk me away from here. I'm going to leave you two lovebirds to it, cos three is definitely a crowd."

Lanie manages to hug both Kate and Castle before climbing safely into the cab, winking at them as she makes several inappropriate comments about the effects of Tequila on Kate's libido and when Castle warns her to drink lots of water once she's home, she yells something about not going home yet and it being their fault that she needs a booty-call with Esposito.

"Too much information Lanie," Kate calls after her, waving frantically as the cab pulls away from the curb. This movement causes her to sway and stumble again, and Castle steadies her with an arm around her waist as she gives an uncharacteristic giggle.

"Is she really going to Esposito's?" Castle asks as Kate leans into his strong steadying grasp.

"Probably. Apparently Tequila and watching us have eye sex makes her horny."

"I thought she was talking about you?"

"What?" Kate asks, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"I thought Tequila makes _you _horny." Castle explains and spins her to face him. "At least that's what I thought Lanie said."

"Why Mr Castle, what if it does?" Kate asks, her voice lowering as she leans towards him. "Would you take advantage of me in my ineber... intoxicated state, and do more than have _eye_ sex with me?"

"_Never_. I'll be the perfect gentleman, see you safely home and tuck you into your bed," he says with mock sincerity and laughs as she pouts; too drunk to realise he's teasing her.

"Let's go back in the club then, get you some shots and loosen you up a bit," Kate suggests and tries to drag him towards the noisy club entrance. "Because the only bed I want to be in is yours, and safely tucked in isn't how I'm picturing it... more like sprawled across it, sweating and hopefully naked."

Castle gulps and feels a sudden tightening in his chest, not to mention in another area due south of there but the sweaty bodies inside the club aren't the ones he's desperate to be pressed against. He could definitely use another drink though, because the buzz that should have come from the entire bottle of champagne he'd polished off earlier was negated by having to spend an entire evening in the company of Gina, Paula, several obnoxious publishing and advertising heavy-weights, and their equally painful, ridiculously Botoxed wives. The egos and opinions in the room were almost as over-inflated as the numerous breast implants on show but he plastered a smile on his face, turned on the charm, schmoozed and made small talk, all the while wishing Kate was with him; or better yet, he was out on the town with her and Lanie.

"What the hell. I could _definitely_ use a drink," he says suddenly, allowing himself to be dragged inside and as quickly as possible he acquires some drinks; Tequila for himself and water for Kate because he's got some serious catching up to do.

Four or five shots later, Castle is starting to feel a warm buzz and after Kate downs one more shot, she drags him towards the dance floor and he goes willingly. She immediately pulls him close, wraps her arms around his neck and presses her thigh between his legs and he groans loudly. Kate grins wickedly as she feels his immediate response to their proximity and as she meets his eyes she moves one hand to his ass and pulls him even closer, his rapidly hardening arousal pressing firmly against her. They move with the music, only vaguely aware of the beat as they set their own rhythm, pressed closer together than even the packed dance-floor would necessitate, eyes locked as they become increasingly oblivious to the throng of hot sweaty bodies moving around them.

Castle is having a strong sense of de javu, only reality is _way_ better. Last time they'd danced in a club they were undercover and even though he'd briefly gotten to put his hands on her then, it had been under sufferance... well on her part it was. For him it had been great and he'd loved every second of it.

"What're you thinking so hard about?" Kate asks against his ear, raising her voice above the volume of the current song.

"Just remembering the last time I got to touch you on a noisy, crowded dance floor," he explains and slides his hands down the length of her back to her butt as he teases. "You were a little less _enthusiastic_ about my hands on your ass."

"I was working," she reminds him and gives him a half-hearted eye roll. But then, with enough alcohol apparently still in her system to loosen her tongue she confesses, "I may not have been quite as adverse to your touch as I might've had you believe."

"Why Kate Beckett, did you just make a drunken confession that you were a sucker to my winning charm and ruggedly handsome good looks, even back then?"

Kate grins, shrugs noncommittally and grinds herself suggestively against him again. He knows she's trying to distract him and it is _definitely_ working. When she latches her warm wet mouth onto the side of his neck and brushes one hand deliberately over his fly, pausing long enough to elicit a moan from him, he decides more confessions can wait. He also gives up any honourable intentions he had about minimising Public Displays of Affection and kisses her long, hard and very publicly. Their mouths are greedy, tongues eager and insistent as they kiss passionately in the middle of a crowded, noisy club.

They can both taste tequila and raw, unadulterated lust. They want each other, _now_ and Castle wonders if the Tequila is to blame or whether they are simply disinhibited enough by the alcohol to do something as out of character as making out on a public dance-floor and the recklessness of it is really what's turning them on. As Kate presses her mouth to the overheated skin exposed by his open shirt buttons and cups him though his pants, he abandons any further analysis of the reasons behind their behaviour and decides that they are leaving... immediately!

He drags her off the dance-floor, down the stairs and when they stumble less than gracefully past the burly bouncer at the door Castle is grateful for the wall that slows their momentum and prevents their otherwise inevitable fall. Kate hits it first and comes to a sudden halt with her back against the bricks. Castle's reflexes are still surprisingly intact and he shoots both arms forward to stop himself crashing into her and they find themselves in a somewhat irresistible position, given their mutual state of arousal.

Kate is breathing hard, eyes bright and slightly wild as she takes in their situation. She is pinned between Castle and the wall, his hands against the bricks on either side of her head and he's looking at her like a predator about to pounce on his prey. His eyes are a dark inky blue, his face is flushed and as his tongue darts out to lick his lips his gaze zeroes in on _her_ mouth. She barely registers the presence of other people on the still-busy street as he lowers his mouth to hers. She's expecting a hard, demanding kiss but he barely brushes his lips over hers, teasing her lower lip with his tongue before tugging it with his teeth. Kate tries to deepen the kiss but he pulls his head back before slowly repeating the soft, teasing contact. She whimpers in frustration and presses herself against him. She can feel how much he wants her, how turned on he is but he's teasing her and it's doing her head in.

"Castle," she whines, a little desperately.

"Patience," Castle whispers as he trails his tongue over the sensitive skin behind her ear. We're in a public place remember and despite our considerable level of intoxication I don't think either of us is planning on having sex in the street. That said, I have a confession of my own; making out with you in public has long been on my fantasy list.

His confession seems to unleash something because Kate grabs him then, crashing her mouth to his in a hot, demanding kiss that he's unable to resist. His mouth opens to the insistent probing of her tongue and as she grabs his belt and tugs his hips to hers he forgets where they are for a moment. Very few people know about them and until tonight they have both been hyper-aware of the possibility that someone might recognise Castle when they're together in public, so they have kept PDAs to a minimum. So far there has only been the odd photo and an accompanying headline like _'the writer and his muse together in public' _but nothing sensational or compromising enough to cause more than the usual rumours and speculation. However their current actions, especially the way Kate has just wrapped a very long and mostly bare leg around him, might mean their secret won't stay a secret for long.

"Kate," Castle says in a low whisper as he drags his mouth from hers and nuzzles playfully at the side of her neck. Her body is pressed to his in a way that's anything but playful and he is rapidly losing the tight reign he's only just managed to establish over his libido. When she presses a warm wet kiss to the base of his throat and cants her hips into his he reluctantly pushes her a safe distance away and hopes to hell they can find a taxi before they put on a show that might just land them on Page Six, or get them arrested. "Kate, unless you want us to be tomorrow's headline, you'd better keep your hands, and your legs to yourself."

"Let's find a damn cab then," she grumbles as they step away from the wall and towards the curb. She's drunk, hot and desperate and if they don't leave now she's seriously going to jump him again right here and this time she won't stop. She suddenly finds herself wondering, _What the hell is wrong with me?_

"On it," Castle says, his voice thick with frustration as he lifts his arm at a passing cab. When his second attempt sees a taxi miraculously slowing and stoping in front of them, they both roll their eyes skyward in grateful thanks to the heavens. When the cabbie asks where they're going, Castle immediately gives his own address and says to Kate, "It's closer."

Kate has no intentions of arguing and leans heavily against him, breathing in the heady, unique scent of him and wanting desperately to touch him, but making do with a firm grip on his knee. Castle is struggling too, overwhelmed by her closeness and by the smell of her; the ever-present whiff of cherries, but tonight it's her favourite perfume 'Jadore' that assaults his senses and his libido. He loves it and he remembers the first time he asked her what it was; they were naked and sated, in front of the fire at the loft and as he looked down at her, all sweaty, tousled and love-drunk under him and he could smell it, so he'd asked, _"What are you wearing?"_

_"Right now I'm wearing a sweaty but deeply satisfied Richard Castle," she'd answered with a chuckle._

_"I meant your perfume, wise ass," he'd teased and grabbed her hands as he buried his nose against the very pulse point where she'd sprayed the perfume in question._

That conversation had ended with a second satisfying round in front of his fire and Castle is lost in the memory of it when he feels Kate grab his hand. He comes back to the present and looks down, immediately realising he's been unconsciously sliding his hand along her inner thigh and his fingers, now firmly in her grasp, are just within stroking distance of whatever she's wearing under her dress.

He doesn't move his hand any higher but gently strokes his fingers cross the soft skin there and Kate shivers. When he does it again she shifts her hips slightly and it's just enough to bring the damp, lacy fabric of her underwear in contact with his fingertips. She leans closer to him and buries her face in his neck to stifle the soft moan she makes as his fingertips brush back and forwards over her now aching centre. Castle can feel how damp the lace beneath his fingers is and he shifts uncomfortably in his seat, her obvious arousal heightening his own to the point that his pants are beyond tight and his erection is downright painful.

"Drunk or not, I hope you're ready for fast, desperate and fumbling," he whispers huskily against her ear. "Because once I get you into the loft..."

"Right now I'm seriously considering risking 'Drunk and Disorderly' and 'Indecent Exposure' charges to _do_ you on the back seat of this taxi, so if we actually make it into your _building_, I'll regard it as a minor miracle," Kate confesses, but before Castle can analyse the sincerity of her admission they arrive at their destination.

Given their lack of sobriety, they are out of the cab with surprising speed and co-ordination and they somehow keep their hands to themselves as they greet the overnight doorman.

"Mr Castle, Ms Beckett," he says politely and if either of them had been looking at him instead of staring lustfully at each other, they'd have seen the knowing smirk on the older man's face.

They make it into the elevator and then their self control deserts them. Castle immediately presses Kate into the side wall of the lift and presses himself against _her_. He thrusts his hands into her hair and his hips into hers as his mouth blazes a wet trail down the column of her throat and across the front of her chest. Kate's hands are clutching at his shoulders and when he slides one of his large warm hands down her body, under the hem of her dress and without preamble, slips his fingers under the elastic sides of her underwear she actually uses her grip to steady herself on suddenly wobbly legs.

Before his fingers can touch her where she so desperately wants him to, the elevator comes to a stop and the doors slide open. Kate rushes out first and is bouncing impatiently on her toes, having whipped off her shoes in time to watch Castle sway a little as he fumbles in his pocket for his keys.

"You were right about the desperate and fumbling part Castle, but you're anything but _fast_," she teases, although there's definitely an edge of impatience in her voice as she swipes his hands away and thrusts her own hand into the front pocket of his pants.

"And your hand in my pants is _so_ going to help matters," he says with playful sarcasm, but the low ragged tone of his voice leaves no doubt about the fact that he went way past playful in the back of the cab and bolted past desperate in the elevator.

Just when he's getting concerned that her hand rubbing against him might just end things before they get through the door, she triumphantly pulls the keys from his pocket and slips the appropriate one into the lock. Before she can turn the key in the barrel however, Castle presses his chest against her back, sinks his teeth into the bare skin of her shoulder and pulls her bottom back against his arousal.

"We have to be quiet because Alexis is home," he whispers as his tongue laves over the area he's bitten.

"Ok, I'll do my best. But explain to me how rubbing _this_ against me," she says as she turns to face him and strokes him firmly through his clothes, "is going help keep me quiet?"

When they finally stumble through the loft door they are kissing, laughing and shushing each other. They make it as far as the kitchen before hearing the soft clearing of a throat and look up to find Alexis standing in front of the open refrigerator. They turn quickly and spring apart, realising too late that such movements, when combined with copious amounts of Tequila, tend to elicit a room-spinning effect and they both use the kitchen island to steady themselves.

"Are you two drunk?" Alexis asks, smirking as only an adolescent can when confronted with embarrassing parental behaviour. "Seriously, aren't you _way_ too old for whatever it is you've been doing. I mean maybe Kate can get away with it because she's still in her thirties, but you Dad, _really? Y_ou're in your _forties_."

"Thankyou daughter for reminding me of my advancing age," Castle says as he glances towards Alexis, the look on her face hovering somewhere between amusement and disgust. "What are you doing up at this hour anyway?"

"I couldn't get back to sleep and I was going to try some warm milk, but now I might try a warm shower instead," the teenager says as she heads for the stairs. "Hopefully it'll make me sleepy and if I stand with my eyes open under the water it might wash away the sight of you two kissing before the image becomes permanently burned into my retinas."

Both adults stare after her in stunned silence and when Alexis speaks again, they brace themselves. "And don't even think about using the kitchen counter to pick up where you left off, I have to eat my breakfast off of there in about four hours."

"She's definitely your daughter," Kate chuckles as Alexis disappears upstairs. "She has quite a way with words."

"Yeah, but her ageist attitude could use a little work. She makes me feel positively ancient sometimes."

"C'mon old man," Kate teases as she grabs him around the waist. "Take me to bed and let _me_ decide if you're past your prime."

They make it as far as the office before they allow their earlier eagerness to ramp back up and by the time they land naked on the bed, thanks in part to Alexis's _sobering_ interruption, they are far less fumbling, no less frantic and almost as desperate as before.

"I never want to go to another book-related event without you," Castle says as he kisses his way down her body, pausing to pay special attention to all the places he knows make her moan and tremble and arch against him. He's kissing her stomach and nipping gently at her hipbone when she stuns him with her response.

"Then I'll go with you next time."

"Really?" he asks, fairly confident she's not teasing but he wants to be certain. He continues to kiss his way lower as he waits for her to answer.

"We're going to have to go public eventually," Kate replies breathlessly as his tongue trails a hot wet path from her navel to her aching core and as he laves slow firm circles around her over-sensitised nerves she completely loses any ability to think, let alone speak. She's overwhelmed with sensation, overwhelmed by her feelings for the man working sweet magic between her legs and she has a brief coherent thought, that privacy and public scrutiny be damned, she loves Richard Castle and she doesn't care who knows it. He skilfully works her into a frenzy, until she's desperate for release but at the same time, doesn't want it to end.

"C'mon Kate, stop trying to decide if you should hold back or let go and just let it happen," Castle whispers against her but when he slips a finger inside her, flattens his tongue and sucks gently on her clit, the decision is no longer hers. Her body takes over, responding to him like she was made for _this_, made for him and as she arches off the bed, one hand clutching the sheets, the other desperately grabbing at his hair she rides the wave of intense pleasure and equally intense emotion until she is a panting, quivering puddle.

Castle kisses his way back up her body as she recovers, finding her eyes still squeezed shut when he plants a soft kiss against her slightly parted lips and he chuckles softly, "You're not asleep are you?"

Her eyes flutter open then and he's expecting to meet drowsy, satisfied eyes but the look he gets is heated and greedy and despite usually giving her time to completely come down, this time he can't wait. He kisses her again and he begins to press into her, expecting to be gradually and easily sheathed in her warm wet heat, but his gaze seeks hers when he meets resistance. Her eyes widen briefly, mirthfully and he realises her muscles are still clenched tight in the aftermath of her orgasm but she's encouraging him, with her expression and with an impatient thrust of her hips to literally press ahead, and he obliges because it feels amazing.

Kate desperately wants him inside her and as he thrusts slowly, delving a little deeper each time she moans low in her throat at the sensations being caused by her own body's continued response to the power of her earlier climax, creating resistance that is intensifying everything. She can feel every inch of him, every thrust and retreat and when he's finally all the way inside her they still for a second and kiss slowly, passionately; all warm wet tongues and soft pliant lips. Their mouths stay fused as they begin moving again and Kate can feel a familiar, gradual coiling low in her belly as they move together, perfectly in tune with each other, giving and taking as they build towards their finale.

Castle wants to tell her how amazing she feels, how extraordinary she is but he can't speak, he can barely even breathe and as he feels Kate wrap her legs around him, clutching roughly at his back with her hands he knows she's almost there. She moans his name as she comes, dragging his face to hers so she can kiss him fiercely. He increases his pace then and thrusts erratically until he comes powerfully inside her before collapsing against her chest. He rolls immediately, but before she can complain about the loss of skin on skin contact, he drags her with him so that they are on their sides, pressed together face to face.

They don't speak, can't find the words immediately and they communicate with gentle caresses and soft sighs. Kate finds her voice first and brushes a sweat-dampened lock of hair from his forehead as she whispers, "It wasn't just the alcohol or the endorphins talking you know. I meant what I said; I'll come with you next time. If you want me to."

"Of course I want you to, but only if you're ready."

"I'm ready and not only will I turn up on your arm, I'll happily shout my feelings from the nearest rooftop," she laughs, but her smile soon turns to a frown as her mind creates unpleasant rooftop imagery and her memory takes over. "Well, maybe not a rooftop given my most recent confrontation on one, or more accurately _off_ one."

Castle knows it's a joke and he smiles weakly but it doesn't come close to reaching his eyes and she apologises, stroking his face, kissing his forehead reassuringly because, of all the things that come with the territory for cops; the awful hours, endless paperwork, the danger, Castle took all of it in his stride but the one thing he never got used to is cop humour and even though she isn't a cop now, the dark humour is still a part of her.

"How about you just kiss me senseless instead, _publicly_. Right in front of my fans, my critics, and whoever the hell else wants to watch. Maybe then the Botoxed, double-D-implanted trophy wives will finally get the message that I'm not interested."

"Boo Hoo, it's just so hard to be you sometimes," Kate teases. "As for the public kissing, I think that ship has sailed. My Tequila addled brain seems to recall some fairly overt PDAs tonight, possibly even bordering on lewd and shocking."

"Well I'm not suggesting we repeat _that,_ at least not at any Black Pawn functions or book signings, but a well orchestrated PDA caught by the paparazzi would save us making some ridiculous formal announcement."

"I don't know Castle, I kinda like the idea of a public announcement, something like... _Buxom, Botoxed bimbos be warned, keep your hands and your breast implants to yourself because Richard Castle belongs to Kate Beckett."_

"Nice use of alliteration, but probably not something Paula or Gina would go for."

"Well, we'll just have to let Page Six do the work for us."

"You sure you're ready for this?" he asks and cups her face, leaning in to kiss her softly, serious now.

"Yep, I'm ready."

**Please hit the button and tell me what you think. I love hearing from you guys.**


	7. Fast & Furious

**Well, this is the final chapter folks. Thanks to those who have read, followed, favourited and reviewed. Hope you enjoy this last (and very long) instalment. I would really appreciate some final reviews... please!**

Insert usual disclaimer here!

**Fast & Furious**

"The Wellington-Brown's Party is _always_ a great night Kate," Castle says as he drags his fingers through the tangle of her hair. "Fabulous food, amazing wine, great entertainment and it's all for charity; then there's the outstanding company you'll be keeping..."

"Yeah," she says playfully. "I'm so glad Martha and Alexis are coming, but you'll have to excuse my lack of enthusiasm, because between now and the social event of the year, there's the small matter of you _leaving me._"

"You can still come you know," Castle reminds her. "Watch me sign book after book, help me fend off the hoards of adoring women throwing themselves at me."

"Geez, I think I need to leave this bed immediately," she jokes and rolls to the edge of the mattress. "Not enough room for you, me and your ego."

He pounces on her then, pins her to the bed and kisses her senseless. He's leaving for a four day book tour in a few hours and in the midst of packing they've gotten a little sidetracked, and rather than _packing_ his clothes they've found themselves _removing_ them instead, from each other.

He kisses her hard; her mouth, her neck, her chest and she's sure he's trying to leave his mark before he actually _leaves. _They haven't spent much time apart since being together and neither of them is exactly thrilled about this trip, but his fans are important enough to drag himself away from Kate for a few days. One day, when the public at large is privy to the fact that the creator of Nikki Heat and the _real_ Nikki Heat have been creating a little _Naked Heat_ of their own, Kate might go with him, but until then he's going to face the masses alone.

He's kissing his way back to her mouth now, soft and playful as he whispers, "I'm gonna miss you."

"Me too," she says softly, palms on his face as she kisses him back. It's a slow, gentle kiss and it sets the mood for the rest of their _goodbye_; they've got time to _take their time_ and they are going to do just that.

"You know, I expected to have to persuade you to go to the party, since you hate that type of things," he says against her ear, his warm breath tickling her, his teeth nipping and teasing the lobe.

"I haven't been to enough of them to _hate_ them, Castle. Not really the circles I'm used to moving in," she replies, moving her head to allow him better access to the side of her neck._  
_

"But I practically had to drag you kicking and screaming to the first couple you came to," he reminds her, shifting closer and placing his hand on her naked hip.

"I didn't want to go with you back then because you were annoying and _drove me crazy,_ and I would rather have been eaten by _tigers_ than have my photo on Page Six."

"But when I asked you to _this_ one I'd been _driving you_ _crazy_ for about forty five minutes. You still said yes," he whispers suggestively, dragging her closer, his face now between her breasts as he caresses the length of her spine with his fingertips. To be precise, she'd actually been _chanting_ 'yes_, _yes_, oh yes'_ he smugly reminds her, "_So_ crazy in fact, that I seem to recall you were moaning my name, begging me to make you c..."

"Do _not_ finish that sentence Richard Castle," she warns, swatting his chest for good measure. "If you value your life, your _manhood_ and any hope of having sex before your flight, you'll shut up now."_  
_

"Empty threats," he says confidently, his expression irritatingly cocky.

"Just keep going and _try_ me," she warns, eyes flashing but he's right, she can't resist him and she often wonders how the hell she resisted him for _four years_. She can only put it down to the fact that she didn't know what she was missing. But now she does and...

"Oh, but I've already _tried_ you," he interrupts, a salacious wiggle of his eyebrows accompanying his still-cocky tone as he nuzzles his nose against the base of her sternum, moving his hand from her back to blaze a trail up over her waist and along the edge of one breast. As he grazes his thumb over her nipple his voice is low, "And now I can't get enough of you."

He kisses his way back to her mouth then and it's still unhurried, almost lazy as his tongue drifts slowly across her bottom lip before sliding firmly into the warm recesses of her mouth. The hand teasing her breast drifts down her ribs, across her belly and she moans softly at his touch and at the delicious weight of him as he presses her into the mattress. Her hands cradle his face as her hips cradle him and they take their time.

It's a slow ignition, a languid glide of lips, tongues and hands spreading heat across their skin and through their veins until it flares, hot and powerful. Neither one can explain how unbelievably good they are together nor how overwhelming their physical and emotional connection is sometimes. The intensity of it sneaks up on them at different times but especially when they go slowly like they are now.

For Castle, when it happens, when inexplicably he _wants_ her more, feels more, loves her more, it leaves him speechless because the way he feels about her every waking minute, the way he _always_ wants her, the intensity of his every reaction to her is limitless, yet he can suddenly be struck by a wave of something he can't name and if it didn't feel so good, the ferocity of it would scare him to death.

Kate's reactions are similar and at first it frightened her because for years she doubted herself, her ability to be with him, to handle the intensity of her feelings for him and his for her, but once she gave in to those feelings she was overwhelmed by the depths of her _need_ for him. So when her feelings boil over, on those occasions when she feels like he really is the other half of her, it's visceral, fierce and when it hits her it's all she can do to choke back the sob of raw emotion that often results. Because to love like that, to _be loved_ like that, is terrifying. But instead of making her want to run, the wonderful power of it anchors her, to him and to the possibility of a life she never dreamed she could have.

Right now, as their gazes meet they can both see it in the depths of their eyes and _feel_ the power of it, and it's heart-stopping in it's intensity. Their hands continue to tease and caress as their mouths meet again in a long, unhurried kiss that's both arousing and comforting, but when Castle's mouth begins to move lower, intense arousal flares, hot and potent. The warm wet suction of his mouth on her breast, the rough surface of his tongue as it laves over her nipple has her arching gracefully into his touch but when his hands and lips drift down her torso, fingers splaying across her belly before delving into the damp heat pooling at her centre her spine bows off the mattress and a sound escapes her lips that is not quite a whimper, not quite a moan.

His tongue and his fingers tease and stroke, over her, inside her and she's on fire, feels the flames ignite deep-down, but the pressure builds gradually and as he slows she savours the opportunity to completely tune into him; not just the sensations he's creating with his touch, but the nuances of what he's doing to elicit them. Kate zeros in on the alternate stroking and circular movements his tongue make as it works its magic on her and she develops a new appreciation for the subtle twist of his wrist as he slides two fingers in and out of her.

The rhythm is sweet torture and as she rocks her hips in time with his glorious beat she feels an involuntary tightening low in her belly. It would be so easy and oh so tempting to let him take her over the edge, let herself shatter against his mouth, around his fingers, because she wants to, but she also wants to touch him, desperate to feel his hardness in her palm and eventually, once he's inside her she wants to watch everything _she's_ feeling reflected in the depths of _his_ eyes as they shatter together. Because when it's like this between them, when there's nothing else in the world except _this_, they can't look away.

The intimate connection of their minds is always there, but when it's combined with the intimate connection of their bodies, it's exceptional and Castle uses it now, instinctively knows what she wants and slows his hand, his breath hot against her as he slides his fingers out of her. When she moans softly he moves over her, covers her mouth with his and kisses her, harder now, slightly less languid and a little more desperate. When she snakes her eager hand between then and runs her palm and fingertips over and around his length his hips buck against hers and they smile.

Castle shudders because her hand on him feels amazing and he knows that any second she's going to guide him inside her, wrap those sinfully long legs around him and they'll be eye to eye, bodies and minds connected. And even though he's expecting it, even though it's not _new_ any more, they've done this countless times, the feeling of that first thrust inside her always steals his breath and his ability to think because _fuck_, the feel of her, wet and warm and tight around him unleashes his baser instincts every time; the primal need to pin her down, sink his teeth roughly into her neck or shoulder and fuck her senseless almost overwhelms him. But he takes a deep ragged breath, looks down at her flushed face, her kiss swollen lips and uses the pull of her unwavering gaze to drag his focus back to her, to his unyielding desire please her, love her and yes, his basic need to make her moan his name. He _is_ a man after all.

And she does exactly that; guides him inside her, tightens her legs around him and they move, perfectly in sync, her nails pressing crescent-shaped marks into his back as she clenches around him. His name is a soft cry on her lips as tightly coiled passion is unleashed and she is helpless against wave after wave of intense pleasure and as he thrusts surely, he draws out her climax until he is powerless to delay his own. They collapse against each other, sweaty and panting, both of them completely boneless.

* * *

A loud, ear-piercing wolf whistle sounds inside Richard Castle's loft and the perpetrator is the man himself. He is standing in his living room, in all his finery as three beauties descend his staircase. Martha Rogers glides down first, curtsying dramatically once she reaches the bottom, a picture in bright floral.

"And before you feel compelled to comment," she winks at her son, "Yes Richard, age before beauty."

They all chuckle as Alexis follows her grandmother down, gorgeous in a deep blue cocktail dress that probably shows slightly more skin than her father is comfortable with, but she looks beautiful. And then there's Kate, stunning in silver so pale that it's almost a luminous white, her hair piled perfectly atop her head exposing the flawless skin of her neck, back and chest.

Castle can't take his eyes off her, the love radiating from him only outshone by the blatant lust in his gaze and it's obvious enough to make her blush because his mother and daughter are right there. His flight back to New York had been delayed and he's only just made it home in time to escort his three favourite women to the party of the season, leaving no time for more than a brief but heated hello kiss between himself and Kate.

"Should Alexis and I leave the room? You two look like you could use a moment alone," Martha says, breaking the spell and she winks, at nobody in particular but Alexis sees it and a look of abject horror crosses her face.

"Oh Grams, _gross_."

"Don't blame me Kiddo. I'm not he one making the love eyeballs."

"I repeat. _Gross_." Alexis complains with a visible shudder, but she's teasing them when she says, "I so _do not_ need to be witnessing the adults in my life making love eyeballs, or having... what does Lanie call it - eye sex? Control yourselves, _please_."

The mention of Lanie and eye sex, by his daughter snaps Castle out of his lust haze and he turns his gaze on Alexis. "Do I need to have a talk to Lanie about appropriate workplace conversation?"

"Do I need to talk to _you two_ about socially acceptable displays of affection?"

They all laugh then, both Kate and Alexis blushing a little as they make eye contact. Their relationship has developed gradually over the last few months and it's become natural, easy and Alexis has even become comfortable with the frequent PDAs between her father and Kate, but they are both a little embarrassed _now_.

"I think we should get going," Kate suggests and all three women grab their bags as they head for the elevator.

Castle takes Kate's hand as they step into the foyer of his building. Martha and Alexis have raced ahead so he steals the opportunity to have a few moments alone. Well almost alone; the doorman is lurking, failing miserably to hide his not so covert staring.

"You look beautiful," he says and pulls her to him, kissing her lightly on the mouth. "God I missed you."

"You don't look too bad yourself," she says and presses herself somewhat shamelessly against him. "You look kinda hot in a Tux... and I missed you too."

"I _so_ wanted some alone time with you before the party," he whispers against her ear, nipping playfully at the hollow behind it."

"You mean some _naked_ time don't you?" she teases.

"Kate," he says roughly, "You can't be using words like _naked_ when you look like you do because I'm already fighting the urge to drag you back into elevator and press..."

"Press this against me?" she finishes for him, her voice low and seductive as she rubs her hand against his obvious arousal.

He makes a very unmanly squeak at her touch and gulps loudly. "I was going to say, press the button to my floor, but this works too."

They are both flushed and panting when Alexis waves them over. "Are you two coming?"

They both smirk, neither of them game to say a word. Best to allow that question to remain unanswered.

* * *

Alexis and Martha fly out of the car once they reach the beautiful Westchester mansion, Martha eager to immerse herself in the glitz and glamour, not to mention the Champagne, and Alexis excited to find her date; a local who she met at Columbia and who's meeting her inside.

"Are you ready for this?" Castle asks from the relative safety of the car.

"I'm ready. No big announcement, but no hiding either," she answers and meets his gaze with a fierce look of determination and a wide, confident smile. She's nervous but she's ready for this, wants it; to stand proudly _together, _rumours and gossip and publicity be damned. There will be any number of celebrities and the who's who of New York society here, to be _seen_ and to raise money for several children's charities, so a certain writer and his muse will hardly stand out; but the love life of Richard Castle always attracts interest so they are expecting that at some point during the night a photographer, reporter or member of the paparazzi is going to notice them.

"I love you," Castle blurts, the words bubbling out of him because she's his and he's hers and they are about to let everyone know it.

"I love you too," she whispers against his mouth and they climb out of the car, his hand at her back.

There's a photographer snapping photos of the arriving guests and with their hands tightly entwined, they grin at each other before turning their smiles on the crowd. Kate is a little star struck as she scans the guests, not that she'll ever admit it to Castle. There are actors, singers, politicians, _writers_ and some other faces she vaguely recognises and she's obviously a little wide-eyed because he teases her.

"Are you having a little fan-girl moment there Kate?"

"Shut up Castle."

"And I thought sleeping with a celebrity would make you immune to getting all starry-eyed over actors and boy bands."

"You're _so_ funny," she says sarcastically before levelling him with her best Beckett glare. "But if said celebrity wants to keep sleeping with _me_, he'll keep his mouth shut."

"Noted," he grins and wraps his arm around her waist. "Let's go find our table because there's sure to be at least one person here who's more star-struck than you."

"Alexis," they say in unison and they are still laughing when they introduce themselves to the other guests at their table including Alexis's date Luke and his older brother Ben.

Alcohol and conversation flows in earnest and they start to mingle. Castle doesn't leave Kate's side at first, simply because he can't keep his hands off her and yes, people are noticing. Four days apart, combined with how stunning she looks, has him wound tight and in a permanent state of semi arousal. His hands are either at her back, around her waist or firmly clasped with hers and he leans close, whispers in her ear at every opportunity, but what he really wants to do is back her into the nearest dark corner, kiss her senseless and stick his hands up her dress.

"You are _so_ having dirty thoughts right now, aren't you?" Kate teases him after they've spent ten minutes feigning interest in the life story of a short, blonde, botoxed 'celebutant' with the largest set of breast implants Kate has ever seen. She flirted shamelessly with Castle and completely ignored Kate, totally clueless that her 'favourite writer' (_like she's ever read a book_) only has eyes for the statuesque brunette at his side.

"Oh my thoughts went past dirty in the car on the way here," he confesses breathlessly against the back of her neck and she shivers. "My thoughts now are bordering on pornographic."

Her breath hitches slightly at his words, but also at the feel of him against her back, his state of arousal evident as it presses firmly into the base of her spine. A sudden rush of desire settles low in her belly and she takes two large mouthfuls of Champagne in an attempt to stifle the moan that's threatening to escape.

"God Castle, you can't just tease me with _that_ and not at least have a plan to get me alone."

"Well how do you think _I_ feel? It's been like that since you walked down the stairs at home and believe me, I'm formulating a plan as we speak."

* * *

The evening is a whirlwind of small talk, fundraising festivities, amazing food, outrageously expensive Champagne, and then it's time for the dancing. Unsurprisingly, Martha is one of the first on the dance floor, closely followed by the younger crowd including Alexis, Luke and Ben. Castle has been ambushed by a couple of giggling fans on his way back from the bathroom and his eyes plead with Kate from across the room to come and rescue him, but she's enjoying just sitting for a moment so she smiles sweetly, shrugs and gives him an _you're on your own_ look. When he finally makes it back to their table he's frowning.

"I think I just offended them," he says as he flops down next to her.

Kate notices his furrowed brow and asks, "Is your charm slipping Writerboy?"

"Oh, I was my charming best, but I refused to sign their chests and they've taken it quite personally."

"Kate can't help herself and she starts to laugh. "Seriously, if that's the most offensive thing that's ever happened to them, well boo hoo for the bombos."

"Oooh, Bitchy Beckett. I like it," Castle teases and then leans in and kisses her. "It's kinda hot actually. Now come and dance with me."

They make their way onto the crowded dance floor and Castle immediately pulls her against him, circling her waist with this arms and resting his hands low on her hips. Kate encircles his neck and links her fingers at his nape as they press their foreheads together.

"This isn't really a 'hold your partner close' kind of song," she breathes, her voice a little roughened by the way his proximity is affecting her.

"I don't care," he replies emphatically. "I haven't held you since I got back and I don't mind confessing that I'm more than a little desperate now."

He pulls her closer and hisses softly as their bodies collide, moulding perfectly despite the barrier of so many clothes. He can feel the softness of her breasts against his chest, the ripple of her abs as she moves and the jut of her hipbones as they press into his. When she looks up at him, green eyes darkened to a deep lustful brown he's lost and he lowers his mouth to hers.

Simultaneous moans erupt as he slides his tongue deeply into her mouth and Kate opens freely, returning the kiss with equal abandon. She has a fleeting thought about their earlier discussion on socially acceptable PDAs but then he sucks her bottom lip into his mouth and she can't think. The crowd and low lighting affords them some semblance of cover, but eventually they separate, realising things are about to escalate and what they are desperate to do falls completely under the banner of totally inappropriate public behaviour.

"Follow me," he croaks in a voice so gravelly with passion that just the sound of those two words stokes the smouldering embers of her desire. He grabs her hand and literally hauls her towards an open set of french doors, past the pool, across a vast expanse of grass to a small building. He flings the door open and as they stumble inside he crashes his mouth down on hers, rough and oh so hot.

Kate matches the hard insistent pressure of his mouth, the demanding glide of his tongue until they have to separate or pass out from hypoxia. Their chests are heaving, hearts slamming in their chests, eyes wild and wanting.

"So this is the plan you formulated?" Kate croaks. "Are we about to have fast and furious sex in our host's pool house?"

"God I hope so," he rasps against the side of her neck, his lips and tongue warm and wet against her flaming skin. "As much as I'd prefer to peel this dress off you and see you sprawled naked on my bed while I run my hands and mouth over every inch of you, I can't wait that long Kate. I'm like a horny damn teenager."

He kisses his way back to her mouth then and as their lips fuse hotly and their tongues dance a familiar dance Kate moans into his mouth, because he's not the only one impatient and more than a little desperate. She has his shirt untucked in seconds and as her fingers begin tugging at his belt he runs his hands up the back of her thighs and under her dress, his fingertips digging firmly into her flesh when she pulls his buckle free and lowers the zipper of his pants.

He is painfully aware of every brush of her hands as she inches his trousers down, his arousal trapped within the confines of his clothes and the strangled cry he gives as she frees him, takes him in her hand, sends a rush of pure desire straight to her core. She wants him now, hot and fast.

As Castle hitches her dress high on her waist, Kate hooks one leg around the back of his thigh and their hips make contact again, the smooth hard length of him pressing against the lace covered heat of her and in their current state it's almost their undoing.

"God Castle, touch me." Kate pleads and he obeys, sliding his hand firmly up the inside of her thigh, just brushing his fingertips over the elastic leg of her lace thong.

He pushes her thigh from around his hip so he can drag her panties down and once there is no barrier he strokes his fingers through her wetness, gliding, probing and circling over her until she's whimpering helplessly and clutching frantically at his shoulders. With one hand splayed at the base of her skull and the other firmly against her core he applies pressure with both, pulling her face closer as he thrusts his tongue deeply into her mouth while dragging his thumb over her clit. Castle swallows the sound she makes as she shatters and when he feels her legs give way he grabs the backs of her thighs and lifts, her legs circling his waist as she heaves hot rough breathes against the side of his neck.

They are both breathing hard as Castle spins them in the dim light of the roomy but untidy pool house and backs her against something large but not entirely solid, his tip making contact with her wet and still pulsing core. He grabs her butt tighter, lifts her higher and squeezes his eyes closed, waiting until she's ready and when she rocks her hips forward and runs her tongue over the shell of his ear he hisses loudly and plunges in to her.

There is a mutual groan of satisfaction, Kate's muscles tightening as she savours the feel of every powerful inch of him, Castle lost in the sensation of being sheathed in the wonderfully tight warmth of her as she pulses around him. They are unsteady, their movements messy and lacking any kind of finesse, but they somehow find a rhythm against the springy surface that Castle is trying to leverage her ass against and they are climbing higher, coiling tighter as their pace increases.

Kate clutches at his shoulder with one hand and his skull with the other as she lets her own head fall back and when he grabs her hips harder, leans forward and thrusts faster it puts just the right pressure on her over-sensitised clit and she comes; hard, fast and loud with a clearly audible, "Oh, God _yes_," as her back arches and the world stops just in that moment.

He hears her, feels her tighten and flutter around him and it's amazing, _she's_ amazing and he's more than a little relieved because he can't hold on; fast and furious is an understatement and he follows her immediately, thrusting frantically as a loud guttural moan escapes against the hollow of her throat and he comes.

Limbs weak, chests heaving, eyes closed, they take minutes to come down. Castle kisses her softly once he regains his senses and grins against her mouth. "Four days without touching you and look what we're reduced to; a quickie at a party against a... what _is_ that you've got your butt against?"

They look down and both begin to laugh when they realise she is perched on a huge inner-tube; obviously used at some point as a pool toy and now stored with other pool supplies and chemicals, cleaning equipment and spare towels. The building must have once been used by those spending the day by the pool, with a small fridge, a sink and on the opposite wall, a bathroom but in recent years looks to have become a storage area.

"Well it's softer than the wall," Kate chuckles as she lowers her feet unsteadily to the floor and winks when she meets his gaze, adding, "And definitely more comfortable than your front door."

Castle's mind briefly drifts back to their first night together, when he had her pinned against his front door, devouring her mouth, kissing her chest and he shudders. "God Kate, let's not revisit that night or we'll be in here for the remainder of _this_ night_._

She kisses him then, it's soft and slow but his body still manages to flicker to life, reacting to the feel of her tongue in his mouth and he reluctantly pulls away so they can put their clothes back on. They use the small bathroom to freshen and straighten themselves up and once they look put-together enough to rejoin the other guests they sneak back inside, smugly confident that their absence has gone unnoticed.

"Where have you two been?" Martha asks from behind them startling them both but redeeming herself somewhat by handing them each a glass of champagne. "I was going to assume you slipped out for some fresh air but since you both reek of chlorine I'll assume you found the pool house. And don't look at me like that Richard. I know _all_ about that particular building; used it myself last year."

"_Mother_," Castle groans, his eyes widening in horror while Kate chokes noisily on her drink. "Please spare us the details. A son just shouldn't ever know these things about his mother. _Ever_."

Martha simply shrugs, raises her glass high in a mock toast and swans toward the dancefloor where the final song has just been announced.

Castle shudders again and Kate laughs. "Maybe she was kidding."

"Unfortunately, I doubt it," he says but he's laughing now too, and they walk hand in hand to the dancefloor.

A slow ballad begins and he pulls her close like he did earlier, but this time their bodies are blissfully sated as they melt against each other. Her arms lift to circle his neck, fingers absently stroking the hair above his shirt collar as she leans back slightly to look at him. His hands caress her back softly and they smile, gazes locked as their bodies begin to sway in perfect time with the music. They are completely swept up in each other, oblivious to the other guests and to the photographers until a flash illuminates the otherwise darkened dancefloor and there is the unmistakable click and whir of a camera.

Their gazes are still locked but there's a slightly panicked, questioning look in Castle's eyes as they realise they've just been photographed, but Kate reassures him with a quick kiss, whispering against his lips, "Not hiding remember."

"It might end up in the paper."

"It's okay Rick. As long as I don't look like I've just gone five rounds with you in the pool house, I don't care how many photographers snap us."

He kisses her back; chastely given the proximity of at least one photographer and whispers so only she can hear. "You look perfect, I love this dress and I love you in it."

"But you'll love me more _out_ of it?"

"Your words, not mine. I'm perfectly content right here, dancing with you in your almost white dress. Kinda makes it..." His voice trails off then, as a wistful look crosses his face.

Kate sees the look and whispers, "What?" But she thinks she knows where his imagination has just led him, and an idea that once would have terrified her now makes her feel safe and cherished.

"Kinda makes it hard not to picture us dancing together with you in a _different_ white dress," he confesses.

She leans close again, letting her head drop to his shoulder and sighs contentedly. She feels Castle arms tighten around her and she knows his mind has returned very much to the present but she is surprised when she feels laughter rumble through his chest. She lifts her head and he laughs again, eliciting a questioning look from her.

"After what we just did in the pool-house, maybe a white dress is out of the question."

* * *

Despite his eagerness to spread the newspaper on the bed and turn immediately to page six, Castle can't help pausing in his bedroom doorway to appreciate the sight before him. Kate is sprawled on her front; hair in a cloud of messy curls around her head and the sheet is barely covering the tops of her thighs. He feels the deep flutter he often gets in his chest and belly when he looks at her, a combination of love, tenderness and fierce protectiveness but he also feels the tight coil of _want_.

"Are you gonna stare at me or are you going to tell me what's got you all worked up?" Kate asks suddenly, eyes still closed.

"You mean besides seeing you all sprawled out and naked in my bed?" he whispers and crawls across the mattress, kissing his way over the peaks and hollows of her spine. When he reaches her neck he nuzzles softly with his nose before kissing her good morning.

"Yeah, besides that."

Kate rolls over then and notices the paper in his hand. She sits up as Castle spreads it out on the bed and they turn immediately to page six... and there it is; a photo and an article under the heading - It's _Written_ All Over Their Faces!

_It seems best-selling mystery writer Richard Castle is officially off the market. Seen here at a charity event with former NYPD Homicide Detective Kate Beckett, the real life inspiration for his __highly successful Nikki Heat series, the writer and his companion appeared very cosy, with reports of a very public kiss on the dance floor. __Romance between the pair has been rumoured since the release of the first Nikki Heat book, Heat Wave, but has been vehemently denied by both parties. No such denials were forthcoming this time however, so we'll let the readers decide for themselves. The couple was snapped sharing a quiet moment and their feelings certainly seem to be _written_ all over their faces._

It's a stunning photo. Castle is looking at her like she's the most precious thing in the world, but it's the look on Kate's face, her radiant smile that leaves no doubt about the status of their relationship. She's smiling at him like she did after the bank explosion, but instead of the deeper emotions in her eyes being clouded by immense relief like they were that day, this time it's _all_ there for everyone to see; a look of pure, unadulterated love and happiness and it's undeniable; _breathtaking_.

**If you've made it to the end, a big thankyou for your effort and if you can spare another minute, feel free to tap out a review and let me know what you think. I'd be extremely appreciative and you might just help to improve my writing.**


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